Sweeny Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
Not a musical but not quite an opera, Stephen Sondheim, along with Andrew Lloyd Webber, have both been pioneers in a contemporary form of ‘musical theatre’. However, while Webber’s efforts tend to be a bit on the crass and vulgar side, Sondheim’s pieces are always superbly lyrical and melodious. It has taken a long time, but one of Sondheim’s earlier works has now made a spectacular transformation to the silver screen. ‘Sweeny Todd’, a diabolical tale about a barber who slices the throats of his customers then gives the bodies to his girlfriend to serve up in meat pies, is almost a perfect movie. There is hardly a flaw in this entire British production, and the choice of Tim Burton as director is inspired. Burton’s penchant for the ‘gothic’ suits the style of this movie, and he creates an extraordinary horror musical. Johnny Depp is phenomenal as the ‘Demon Barber’, while Helena Bonham Carter, as the ingenious baker ‘Mrs. Lovett’, is also surprisingly equally impressive.
The Kite Runner
This movie, directed by Marc Forster, and based on Khaled Hosseini’s best selling novel about an Afghanistan refugee, now living in America, and his memories of his childhood servant come friend back in Kabul in the 1970s, is unexpectedly dreary. None of the poetic imagery conjured up in the book makes it to the screen. Rather, the screenplay is only a faithful condensation of the essential events in the novel, and the movie simply plods along from one incident to another without much drama, tension, or any cinematic flair.
There Will Be Blood
The career of American screenwriter and director Paul Thomas Anderson, born in 1970, has been short but spectacular. His movies include ‘Boogie Nights’ (1997), ‘Magnolia’ (1999) and ‘Punch-Drunk Love’ (2002). Anderson’s latest movie, ‘There Will Be Blood’, also promises that “there will be greed and there will be vengeance”. Anderson serves up plenty of everything. The movie is a great epic story, set in California at the beginning of the 20th Century, and is concerned with a self-made oil tycoon trying to dupe a country town out of the oil reserves under their useless grazing land. The unusual script, the direction, and the photography are all first class, and the film contains a performance from Daniel Day-Lewis that is just superb!
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Written and directed by Andrew Dominik, this is another movie that while being very beautiful and poetic to look at, just plods along through boredom on to its final dull destination. Dealing, obviously, with the assassination of Jesse James by the coward Robert Ford, the movie is nothing more than further Myth Making about one of America’s more notorious and historical outlaws. Brad Pitt, as Jesse James, is still pretty much a ‘pretty boy’, though maturity has given him a bit more character. Casey Affleck is interesting as the ‘coward’ Robert Ford, but it is hard to raise much sympathy for his role.
Longford
Almost half a century since the events occurred, the name of Myra Hindley, England’s infamous serial child-killer, can still send shivers of revulsion through most people. Adapted from ‘real life’, this British movie, directed by Tom Hooper, does not set out to redeem Myra Hindley. But, it does try to give a realistic portrayal of her mesmerizing and manipulative personality. Jim Broadbent, as Lord Longford, a slightly dotty government minister and English peer, who takes up Hindley’s parole cause, is unrecognizable and fantastic in his demanding role, while, Samantha Morton is sensational as the hypnotic murderer. I cannot recommend this movie for everyone. It takes guts to sit through some of its implied psychological horror, yet, I found the movie to be an extremely intelligent and very fascinating cinema experience.
We Own The Night
Initially I didn’t expect much from this movie. Thinking it would just be a standard story about a righteous discothèque manager, and his fight against a Russian narcotic syndicate, set in Brooklyn in the mid 1980s. However, once the movie gets underway, and writer and director James Grey’s stylish plot, snappy editing, and marvelous recreation of Brooklyn’s 1980s nightlife hit the screen, (love those nostalgic ‘Blondie’ numbers in the soundtrack), the movie becomes rather interesting and addictive. Joaquin Phoenix is pretty good as the disco manager, and Eva Mendes is pretty sexy as his Latino girlfriend. Together they are HOT! The movie is actually quite a lot of fun.
The Jammed
This low-budget Australian movie will also take you by surprise. Written and directed by Dee McLachlan, and based on real court transcripts of actual events, it is a disturbing look at human trafficking and the sex-slave trade in the pseudo-cultural city of Melbourne. The movie also has pertinent things to say about the hypocritical workings of Australia’s ‘never mentioned’ illegal prostitution rackets, and the Australian government’s deportation system in particular. The movie comes as a breath of fresh air, as the wary Australian cinema rarely takes a critical look at Australian cultural issues.
Sydney White
If you have a daughter going off to university, please don’t let her watch this movie. I cannot believe how stupid this re-working of ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’, set in an American college, really is. Then again, if you want your daughter to recognize false values this might be just the movie for you.
Mr. Robet’s Best Buys
Sweeny Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
Tim Burton and Johnny Depp create a creepy and marvelous horror musical.
There Will Be Blood
Daniel Day-Lewis is terrific in this great movie about greed and vengeance.
Longford
The personality of infamous British serial-killer Myra Hindley is examined.
Atonement
Reality, and how we perceive it, is questioned in this elegant British movie.
Botched
An extremely funny ‘black’ comedy, where peculiar things go on in Russia.
We Own The Night
Joaquin Phoenix and Eva Mendes are pretty ‘hot’, in this fast-paced movie.
Enchanted
A magical musical which successfully mixes animation with ‘live’ action.
Flawless
Demi Moore makes a spectacular ‘come-back’, in this stylish crime caper.
Juno
A delightful low key American comedy regarding an adolescent pregnancy.
The Golden Compass
The first installment in this Sci-Fi fantasy film serial gets off to a good start.
Elizabeth, The Golden Age
Cate Blanchett is simply fabulous in this elaborate historical costume drama.
La Vie En Rose
A beautifully rendered movie about the life of French Chanteuse Edith Piaf.
Beowulf
A classic ‘graphic novel’ comes vividly to life in this legendary Nordic yarn.
The Jammed
An Australian movie that looks at human trafficking and the sex-slave trade.
