Cleve Film Fest

“The Flowers of War” – Powerfully Directed and Emotionally Gripping

Sat, 04 Aug 2012 10:31:24 +0000

“The Flowers of War” may not be funny entertainment for summer watching, but this Chinese drama, nominated for the Golden Globe, has plenty of emotional and riveting action and passion as an American mortician arrives in a Chinese cathedral to bury its priest, and by some twists of fate turns into a reluctant hero as he has to save an increasing number of Chinese people, teenage girls and prostitutes included, from the marauding Japanese soldiers during the second Sino-Japanese war.

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“Ted” – A Comedy and Something More

Sat, 04 Aug 2012 10:29:28 +0000

Among new film releases, “Ted” is advertised as a hilarious comedy. Well, it is an unusual story about a toy turned human, by dint of a wish made on a falling star, and that humanlike friend and the main character John have their ups and downs, as do the other relationships deployed there, not only between the toy bear Ted and John, but also between John and his girlfriend Lori, and between other g friends, as they misbehave, then set things right. In addition to the dynamic events, abundance of comic situations, there are real life problems developing throughout which can set people thinking about the quality of human relationships. The payroll software also has a role in human relationships, you might say, but still I insist the role of a toy come alive is much more impressive. And funny.Perhaps it is not so comic to witness the fulfillment of the wish making a lonely boy’s yearning for a friend come true, transforming his teddy bear toy into a living creature, feeling and emphatising, responding and discussing, being happy, getting angry. But there is a playful atmosphere which abounds in situations where the main characters have fun. Like friends in real life they fall out, then make up, share a good laugh, enjoy themselves together.

When it seems Ted is destroyed and is going to die, after being kidnapped and damaged by the evil Robert, John and Lori are deep in sorrow. Just like it happens in real life, with its vicissitudes which often make things take a turn for the better or for the worse. Then Lori makes another wish on a falling star, and Ted is brought to life again. Unnatural though this may seem, it is like a symbol of what human feelings can do if they are really profound and heartfelt.In my opinion, the film is a mixture of comedy and a serious genre, though some people can argue that regarding a film as a comedy is subjective. Be prepared to speculate on human relationships besides being able to have a series of laughs. Stay tuned for more!

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3 Films That Really Scared Me.

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 23:03:18 +0000

Horror fans will often be heard discussing the scariest films they have ever seen. And perhaps this is because the majority of human beings have an insatiable desire to be frightened out of their pants; even if they won’t openly admit to it! So learning about other creepy movies from friends is a great way of acquiring new ‘fear fodder’. After all, there may be thousands of different Horror films to choose from out there, but some of these are a whole lot scarier than others…

Here are 3 of the most frightening movies that I have seen over the years –

‘The Shining'(the original one, NOT the remake!)

It’s a wonder I ever plucked up enough courage to watch this film at all because the novel had already scared the beejaysus out of me several times over!

Jack Nicholson is perfectly cast as the frustrated writer with a drink problem whilst the deserted hotel is one of the best settings of all time for a Horror movie.

‘The Grudge’ (the proper Japanese version)

This was a serious eye-opener for me. I had watched oodles of scary films prior to this yet (much to my shame) I had never seen a Japanese one before.

And because Japanese film makers have a completely different approach when it comes to Horror, you never know quite what to expect. These guys could even manage to create a movie about office furniture and scare you witless!!!

‘REC’ (and I mean 1 and 2!)

I’d already been bowled over by the superb ’28 Days Later'and I wasn’t expecting to see another top notch zombie flick shambling around for quite some time… So when ‘REC'came along I was very, very impressed. I was also very, very scared!

This movie really does rank highly on the old ‘Fear-ometer'and its sequel is equally as good!

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3 Films That Really Scared Me.

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 22:03:08 +0000

Here are 3 of the most frightening movies that I have seen over the years –

‘The Shining'(the original one, NOT the remake!)

It’s a wonder I ever plucked up enough courage to watch this film at all because the novel had already scared the beejaysus out of me several times over!

Jack Nicholson is perfectly cast as the frustrated writer with a drink problem whilst the deserted hotel is one of the best settings of all time for a Horror movie.

‘The Grudge’ (the proper Japanese version)

This was a serious eye-opener for me. I had watched oodles of scary films prior to this yet (much to my shame) I had never seen a Japanese one before.

‘REC’ (and I mean 1 and 2!)

This movie really does rank highly on the old ‘Fear-ometer'and its sequel is equally as good!

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The Forty Year-Old Virgin

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 11:33:38 +0000

Andy is the kind of guy who gets excited about a shop full of PVC Banners . Yes, to Andy, the star of this cult classic comedy from director Judd Apatow, the mundane can become thrilling. The problem is, everyone around him just feels sorrow. And at the store where Andy works this sorrow is transformed into comedy. The only problem being that mostly it is at Andy’s expense…

Poor Andy. He has never had sex and by the half way point in this film, you really fear he never will!

But it’s not all doom and gloom in Andy’s world. Because as the film progresses, Andy’s opportunities take a sudden turn for the better. At least that’s how it appears for a while, until everything starts going horribly wrong for him again…

The laughs do outweigh the serious subject matter, but even so, at times we can’t help but laugh with Andy and root for him as he stares into the dull void that is his life…

What’s great about this film is that Andy is so believable. Often in these kind of films, the lead character is a cartoon of some real life self. It’s funny, yes, but not at all believable. Yet Andy is completely real and we do feel sorry for him in every way imaginable. When we enter the store to find Andy waxing lyrical about how the highlight of his weekend was, no joke, making egg mayonaise sandwiches, we are reminded again that actually something horrific happens to Andy every single moment of every single day. He carries a perpetual sadness around with him which is absolutely awful, and really nothing much to laugh at.

The laughs do outweigh the serious subject matter, but even so, at times we can’t help but laugh with Andy and root for him as he stares into the dull void that is his life. Next time you pass a double glazing shop or look in through a window to see a banner salesman staring blankly through his customer, spare a thought for all the sad people out there. Instead of laughing, why not consider helping your friend find a date? And you at the back, please stop laughing!

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The Thing 2011 Review

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 19:07:11 +0000

must begin by saying I am indeed one of the millions somewhat in love with the original 1982 effort by John Carpenter, therefore choose as you will which way you would expect my bias to run on this occasion…personally I cannot quite make my mind up.Anyway, just to get things off to a positive start we will begin with the positives of the new ‘Thing’ prequel currently doing the rounds. First and foremost, fair play to all involved when it comes to the overall style and cinematography, as the long and looking cold atmosphere with eerie soundtrack are pretty well in line with the original form the 80s…so kudos indeed. What’s more, considering the fact that the creatures and the transformations are all entirely computer generated, most do a fine job of blending in with the real-life scenes without appearing too ridiculous, as is all too often the case these days.

Script-wise there are hints here and there of excellent thought and intelligence, offering something entertaining to both watchers who are desperate to find out how ‘The Thing'began in the first place, along with those with no knowledge of the original whatsoever. That action scenes are enough to keep pretty much anyone entertained and suspense is generous to say the least, so an winner end to end, right?Sadly not, as one of the most appealing and indeed terrifying underlying elements of ‘The Thing'from 1982 has always been the way in which nobody could explain what happened and the infamous polar base. Well, as this has now been answer it has well and truly put to rest decades of heated and interesting debate, along with a million and one mental images as to what may have come to pass.

All in all, the film ticks over and delivers, but only just enough to warrant a watch and not leave disappointed. True, it has at least avoided being slung into the bargain DVD bin in the corner of the stores alongside the discounted damaged banner stands, but still told the story that in my mind at least really would have been scarier to remain a mystery.

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Transformer: Dark of the Moon Review

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 04:03:48 +0000

I recently went to the movies to watch Transformers: Dark of the moon and in my opinion it is one film all should make an attempt to watch. The plot and the settings are of such that the movie is as good as if not a lot better than the others before it.

In comparison with its predecessors, it has more of an intriguing plot. It also sends more emotional and physical messages to the audience in comparison with the past seasons.

The scenes were set in such a way that the audience is able to follow the events of things and even feel involved as things transpire. The inclusion of 3D action scenes actually contribute to the greatness of the film. The battles fought in it were highly entertaining and attention catching in comparison with what had been obtainable in other series.

It is a movie that every moviegoer should see in 3D and when I went to see it there were a lot of people there in costumes, transformers gear, and there was even a guy in a three piece suit looking like he had just come from the office.

From start to finish the audience is held stupefied. The action shown in the movie is far from being comparable with what was seen in any of the predecessors.

The death of a ‘bot in this particular film is felt by the audience unlike the way it was in the previous films. The ‘bots'were actually given distinct personality.

This is actually a good action movie and I truly enjoyed it, can’t wait to see what they come p with next.

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Cave of Amazing Dreams

Sat, 23 Jul 2011 21:35:23 +0000

This year has been a good one for going to the movies. I have had several short-term primary teaching jobs, so I’ve been in the money and have been able to feed my frenzy for films.

The highlight so far is undoubtedly The Cave of Forgotten Dreams, directed by veteran German Werner Herzog. This extraordinary documentary simply explores one single prehistoric cave system in southern France. The point is, however, that this cave complex holds the world’s oldest cave paintings, dating to about 30,000 years ago.

As an artist himself, albeit with the camera, Herzog was clearly awe-struck by the prehistoric art. A sense of reverence comes through the film, as the camera pans slowly, tenderly, around the walls, sometimes zeroing in for a close-up, and sometimes panning out for a wide-screen shot of an entire wall. The paintings themselves are quite simply fantastic. Prehistoric animals, some of which – like the woolly mammoth and the cave lion – are extinct, come to life with line drawings, basic colourings, and use of the contours of the cave walls.

Since human breath can contribute to the decay of cave paintings, access to this underground network is strictly controlled. Herzog and his small team were allowed in for only a few days, to coincide with an annual scientific and archaeological expedition. The floor of the cave is also a treasure-trove of archaeological knowledge, with stone tools, animal and human bones, and plant remains scattered throughout. Since access is so restricted, the archaeologists have not yet even scratched the surface of the cave’s offerings.

So a walkway was built above the floor surface. As the camera shows both scientists and film crew carefully but precariously negotiating the tricky access routes, the message that this is a precious historic site, of importance to all humanity, is reinforced again and again.

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The Town

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 13:34:53 +0000

The other day when I was shopping for Homeware I saw The Town had just been released on dvd so I treated myself to that and a big bar of chocolate and settled down for Friday night movie night.

The Town is set in Charlestown, America and it portrays a realistic and gritty view into what this rough and violent city has to offer. The storyline is nothing new in terms of crime drama but it is intense and emotional, and Ben Affleck who also directs the movie plays the leading role and gives one of his finest performances to date.

SPOILER ALERT ENDING REVEALED

Here is the story in a nutshell. Doug McRay (Ben Affleck) places himself in a very difficult position when he falls in love with the bank manager Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall). After taking Claire hostage following the robbery the gang decide that she may need to be silenced and McRay decides to take this upon himself. He stalks Claire until he takes an opportunity in the laundrette to talk to her. When he sees how distressed she is due to the kidnapping he begins to fall for her, and a complex relationship is formed. Of course she does not know his true past and the relationships is being built on a series of lies so McRay can conceal his real identity. Parallel to this the FBI are trying to uncover the culprits for the robbery and are getting closer and closer to pinning it on MacRay and his gang. When the FBI agent leading the case hears a recorded phone conversation between the victim and one of the suspects which clearly portrays them to be having a relationship he begins to question Claire’s involvement. The FBI agent appears at her house to show photos of the suspects and when she sees MacRay she is mortified and heartbroken. MacRay manages to talk her round and convinces her he will never hurt her and never forgive himself if he lost her and he asks her to runaway with him so they can start a new life together but she refuses. During the gangs final job they get busted and all hell breaks loose on the streets of Charlestown but MacRay gets away unscathed. In a final bid to catch MacRay the FBI convince Claire to lure him in by asking him to meet her, but she gives him a secret message that only he would understand and he realises that she does still love him.

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A must see, even if you hated education: An Education

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 13:04:34 +0000

Let’s be clear from the outset here: I wasn’t in any way excited about watching this film. Okay, the premise sounded interesting, but it didn’t exactly compete in my mind well with the other films of the time. So it was a risk, really, me watching this. I was all prepared to hate it and then when I saw it guess what? I loved it. It was actually just what I needed.

Starring Carey Mulligan – of Never Let Me Go fame – An Education is exactly that, charting one young girl’s summer as she meets a dashing and handsome businessman in the shape of American Peter Sarsgaard (Garden State, to name but one). It starts off simple and quickly turns sinister, with a very interesting story carefully interwoven with a period drama that is actually really very good. Now there’s a paragraph I didn’t expect to be writing when I sat down to watch this film…

An Education is also stylish. From the smart opening scenes, the music is well times and mixed with a sometimes hilarious brand of humour that exactly mirrors the intricacies of the time. In other words, it’s a film for people who don’t usually watch films, but also a film that is crafter brilliantly, making it appealing to both the avid cinema goer and the comedy lover.

Buy or download An Education to see some Great British actors and a slew of interesting narratives mixed with a story that you won’t see every day (a much better buy than those custom rings you keep seeing on QVC, make no mistaking!).

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