shefbase.com :: Screen

The Other Boleyn Girl

screen — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 13:29:06 +0000

This adaptation of the novel is an unexpected hit. Based on the life of King Henry VIII, a man made infamous by his marriages, acquiring an astounding eight different wives! You may expect this to be like another dull history lesson but with an all star cast, this twisted tale of affairs, betrayal, death and love, will keep your eyes glued to the screen. After learning of the King’s (played by Eric Bana) decreasing attention for his wife as she fails to produce a baby boy, an opportunity arises for the Boleyn family. Encouraged by her father, Anne Boleyn (Natalie Portman) is to meet the King and divert his attentions, luring him in with her flirtatious nature and deadly beauty. Little do they know what lies ahead… After Anne’s teasing causes dangerous consequences, it is then her sister, Mary Boleyn (Scarlett Johanssen), who becomes the object of the King’s desire. Unlike Anne, Mary is gentle, shy and honest, she longs for a life in the country with the husband whom she loves. But her wishes are neglected by her father who sends her away to the castle where she is to replace the Queen. As the Boleyn Girls fight for the King’s attentions, a jealous rift looks set to destroy their family but in the end, where will their loyalties lie? The serious and shocking elements of this film make it a phenomenal drama. With each twist along the way, you’re guaranteed to shed a few tears.

Written By Amanda Mason

Cloverfield

screen — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 10:28:22 +0000

Despite releasing very little information about the film, the short unrevealing trailers created much hype over this monster-movie. Featuring action-packed scenes of fires and destruction, we knew this would be a must-see film of the year. Cloverfield is unlike any other film in its genre. Director Matt Reeves is successful in luring us into the seemingly ordinary world of America introducing us to an unknown cast, which only adds to the realist aspect of the film. Following the characters through the lens of a hand-held camera, is an intrusive position that does not remain comfortable for long as buildings start crashing down and people start screaming. Catching glimpses of what surrounds us we come to realise what we are running away from, this is no earthquake …‘It’s eating people’. As the head of the Statue of Liberty smashes to the ground, it seems that whatever it is, it’s going to destroy everything in its way. It soon becomes an emotional journey of fear, hope and loss as we watch the characters struggle to save the ones they love. The sensation of the shaky camera cutting and jumping can be frustrating at times but overall it is effective in making us feel that we are taking part in the action. It is clear that computer graphics have moved on as the image of the monster is not cringe-worthy or amateur. However, the true horror of the film works at its best when the identity of the creature is hidden and ambiguous. Although this nail-biting film is relatively short, the suspense is guaranteed to keep you permanently gripped to your seat.

Written by Amanda Mason

Juno

screen — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 19:07:54 +0000

My first impressions of Juno having seen the trailer were to expect a fairly dull, mindless comedy and unfortunately 2 out of the 3 predictions were proved right. Juno is fairly dull, and although the unwanted pregnancy of the 16 year old protagonist was handled with a little more care than I anticipated, on the whole Juno’s reasoning over the baby was kept to a minimum. As for comedy, there simply was none.

The story revolves around Juno, in her last year of high school she finds herself pregnant and unable to take care of a baby herself, begins looking for adoptive parents before she tells her parents her plans, hoping the fact that the baby isn’t staying will ‘soften the blow’. The film divides itself into the seasons of her pregnancy, giving off a very rigid structure to the film and the impression that we can predict how the film pans out - pregnancy, meet the prospective adopters, birth of baby, Juno’s change of mind. However, in contrast to the structure, the content of the film is a little more layered and inquisitive. One example being the frequent visits of Juno to the adoptive father, initially hinting at an affair.

The film ends on a ‘nice’ note, leaving you unable to really dislike the film, yet not quite able to really like it either. There are however many annoying elements to the film that may make you begin to dislike the film as you ponder it afterwards. Juno’s character, although seemingly thoughtful at times is more scatty and irresponsible in nature. The filmmakers’ portrayal of an average 16 year old being pregnant seems so far from the truth of reality. She seems too childish for a 16 year old of today, her chavvy dialogue mis-representing the majority of the teenage population. Of course, it could be said that the situation of Juno may bring out her more childish nature with her growing insecurities. Yet I couldn’t quite believe Juno for the amount of contradictions in her portrayal, from her seemingly ‘too’ grown up relationship with her boyfriend to her ridiculous friendship with her teacher loving best mate. The film scores pitifully with 2/5.

There Will Be Blood

editor — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 21:49:59 +0000

It’s difficult to believe that Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘There Will Be Blood’ was only filmed last year. Such is the epic scope of the film that you could be forgiven for thinking it was made in the era that produced ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ or ‘Gone With The Wind’ rather than the era that produced ‘Norbit.’

Set at the turn of 20th century, it tells the story of Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day Lewis), a wannabe oil baron aiming to make a profit from the Sunday Ranch in the town of Little Boston. While initially successful, he does not encounter the obstacle of the townspeople, especially preacher Eli Sunday (Paul Dano).

The plot is firmly rooted around the powerhouse performance of Daniel Day Lewis. As Daniel Plainview, he is a callous, ambitious, greedy, hateful, repulsive, self-centred, heartless psychopath. And boy is he brilliant at it. Day Lewis also manages to be genuinely amusing which only adds depth to the character. In one hilariously shocking moment halfway through negotiations to sell oil to a pair of dry businessmen, he threatens to cut their throats.

Daniel is prepared to trample over anyone in order to reach his goals (which is to “eliminate the competition” and be rich), whether this is abandoning his son, his shocking cruelty or backstabbing the townspeople of Little Boston. You truly believe him when he says “I hate people.” Some of the best scenes involve his confrontations with preacher Eli, chief nutjob in a town full of crazies (and as who, Paul Dano performs remarkably well), who wants his promised share of the money to fund his church. The power struggle between these two characters moves between a side-splitting baptism to a gruesome violence.

However, it could be said that the main star of ‘There Will Be Blood’ is not Daniel Day Lewis, but the stunning scenery. Anderson effectively recreates the grandness of the American West and the film is at its most awe-inspiring when the characters are being showered in the black rain of oil or the chillingly ominous soundtrack by Johnny Greenwood (of Radiohead) is puncturing the scenes.

While ‘There Will Be Blood’ is a very good film, it just falls short of being a great film. It’s unnecessary long and the plot is not as substantial as the performance by Day Lewis and direction of Anderson deserves. The subplot regarding Daniel’s brother could have been dispensed with entirely as it does not really add anything to the story. However, this is merely nitpicking on my part and I would recommend the film for anyone who wants to see a masterful character study.

‘There Will Be Blood’ is now showing in a cinema near you.

By Craig Purshouse

St Trinian’s

screen — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 15:02:48 +0000

A typical teenage girl’s fantasy film where the kids run their school along with the help of their peculiar headmistress who encourages their dominance and reckless behaviour so she can have a break from ‘teaching’. Rupert Everett plays ‘Miss Fritton’ the headmistress of the school which is failing miserably in the league tables due to its lack of order. This leads to a multitude of anarchic events as the girls set out to save their school from bankruptcy, the girls proving that St Trinian’s has taught them a few things that will help them survive in the real world.

Despite wanting to say it wasn’t enjoyable due to its predictability, it was, on the whole a very witty, well made film. A lot of money had obviously been put into the production and with a few well known actors the movie has a certain amount of appeal. The main group of St Trinian girls seemed to work wonderfully together, with Gemma Arterton playing a very feisty female lead, she pulls together the idea that these girls could be wild and reckless whilst at the same time appreciating that ‘Kelly’, Arterton’s character could take control when she wanted. The girls encouraged the plot too, as unbelievable as the sequence of events go, they portray a sense of plausibility throughout. Rupert Everett was the only seriously irritating recurrence, playing both the head-mistress and the head-mistresses twin brother. Of course, this was all very tongue-in-cheek and yet it seemed to bring the whole movie down to a lower level of humour. The quiz show scene at the end of the film however makes up for this; as the climax of the film the quiz show indulges in comic references, aided with the acting of Stephan Fry as the quizmaster.

The film is obviously targeting a young, female audience, it’s certainly not an obvious choice for the boys and yet I think all ages could watch this film agreeably. Maybe waiting for a showing at the Student Union or a sale-price DVD release would suffice though as once you‘ve seen it there‘s no real desire to watch it again.

By Lisa Etherington

Enchanted

screen — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 17:54:17 +0000

If you haven’t already been to see this film, run to your nearest cinema now! Not just one for children as this movie can be enjoyed on so many levels, you‘ll find yourself sitting amongst teens, students and the older ones alike. As do all good fairytales, Enchanted is a love story, whose main character Giselle, after falling from the cartoon world of Andalasia, has to survive in the harsh realities of Manhattan, helpfully acquiring true love on the way.Giselle is a very likeable yet naïve Princess, stuck in her cartoon ways, bursting into song on the streets to various responses from the public passing by. After meeting and falling in love with Prince Edward of Andalasia, Edward’s evil stepmother Queen Narissa attempts to ruin their love forever amidst the threat Giselle make to her throne, and pushes her down a mysterious well. The well leads to reality, and after fixing her hair after her fall, Giselle must face the prospect of live in the real world. Summoning up all her courage, Giselle attempts to find a way back to her world, meeting Robert and his daughter Morgan en route. Together they then try to escape the clutches of the evil Narissa as with her dopey assistant Nathaniel they set out to finish off Giselle once and for all.As stories go, this one is very predictable but has such a likable quality you will laugh out loud several times making it all worthwhile. The writers have cleverly made a film that appeals to all ages, and the tongue-in-cheek effect of travelling between the cartoon world and the real world bring back all the memories of our much loved Disney films from years ago. This film is a must see! Boy or Girl, this film can’t fail to entertain, for the full 1 hour and 50 minutes!

By Lisa Etherington

Paranoid Park - in cinemas 26/12

editor — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 17:09:04 +0000

Your parents are separated awaiting divorce, your girlfriend wants commitment for life, you are still in high school, and you have just accidentally killed a security guard and the police are closing in on you. Do you face the facts and tell the truth, or wait until you are exposed? This is the dilemma facing 16-year old Alex in Gus Van Sant‘s latest film ‘Paranoid Park‘ due for released onto the big screen this coming Boxing Day.

Based on the novel by Blake Nelson, ‘Paranoid Park’ revolves around the infamous skate park located on Portland, Oregon’s East Side. Of course, Paranoid Park isn’t its real name - it’s just how it’s known by the kids there - but it’s the place where all the top skaters go.

Teenager Alex (played by Gabe Nevins) is a ‘good’ kid from the nice side of town. He skates a lot but does not know if he is really ready to venture to Paranoid Park. Convinced by his skating buddy Jared (Jake Miller), they head to the skate park out of curiousity, but once there Alex starts begins question his own life to date. Does he want to commit the rest of his life to his girlfriend (Taylor Momsen)? Does he have his place in everyday society, or is he at home with the punks and skaters at the park?

After borrowing his mother’s car and parking it on the opposite side of the river (so it would not be damaged), Alex befriends a group of skaters and then one night accidentally kills a security guard. Overwhelmed by guilt, and with innocent blood on his hands (and clothes), Alex decides to banish the event from his mind. That was until a police officer comes to his school asking questions…

There are so many remarkable things about this unusual movie. For a start, director Gus Van Sant presents us with an array of characters that actors of many years’ experience would be proud of - a remarkable feat when you consider that nearly all the kids in the movie were recruited through MySpace.

Clips of skating action from the park of home-video image and sound quality are extremely well incorporated into the narrative and the inter-character conversations are set out of focus on only one of the participants so that the audience stays fixed to the action, taking on almost a voyeuristic status.

I never thought I would ever witness a gruesome on-screen murder set to the dramatic choral opening of Michael Jackson’s song ‘Will You be There’, but it worked terribly well, and I have to admit that the only bad thing about this film was the very comprehensive mouth-watering description of a Subway sandwich and its many fillings that made me very hungry indeed!

‘Paranoid Park’ is an excellent film, and despite making me wish I could skateboard and then suddenly stopping without following a more conventional structure or given us any real ending of sort, it will still manage to satisfy far more people than might otherwise venture into such an art-based film.

Unfortunately, this film will not be released onto all the big screens, but you can catch it at Sheffield’s Showroom Cinema from its release on December 26th.

For more information about the film, log onto the official website at: www.paranoidpark.co.uk.

But as one of the characters says to Alex, “No-one’s ever really ready for Paranoid Park…”

By Andrew Burgess

ROSS KEMP ON… WETTING HIMSELF AND TAKING A DUMP

screen — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 16:30:50 +0000

“That was the closest I’ve ever come to being killed-I actually wet myself. I didn’t even realise at the time, when I stood up there was a wet patch in my trousers.”

The actor turned docu-presenter Ross Kemp is in Sheffield for the Showroom Cinema’s Docufest talking about his new series Ross Kemp on Afghanistan.

Kemp, who only got back from filming a month ago, says his recent loss of bladder control was the result of a Taliban attack on the East Anglian regiment he accompanied on the front line.

He only discovered his accident when the attack ended and he climbed out of the ditch which he had dived into for protection.

The confession is in contrast to the hard man image which Kemp says follows him around. “I can’t help that I’m bald,” he says, grinning.

But the audience is reluctant to believe that he’s not using his hard man image in roles like Eastender’s Grant Mitchell in order to be taken seriously by gangs and his TV audience.

Watching the episode of the third series of Ross Kemp on Gangs set in Poland it is hard to ignore the similarity in appearance between Kemp and those he interviews.

As the camera follows a group of jean wearing tight-t-shirted stocky skinheads Kemp is almost indistinguishable.

In the Question and Answer session that follows the screening he visibly sighs as those who missed the earlier talk re-ask if he’s been helped by the hard man image of his Grant Mitchell character.

“Do you think these people have seen Eastenders?” He asks, explaining that episodes set in this country, like his new series in Afghanistan were made harder to film by micky taking about his actor past.

“The soldiers in Afghanistan had a competition going to see who could get the first photo of Grant Mitchell taking a dump, every time I took my pants down there was a flash behind me.”

However he concedes “The way I look has been a help and a hindrance,” and a bit of friendly banter is the least of his worries when meeting some of the most dangerous individuals in the world.

The documentary crew of three or four (depending on location) has no security protection and filming the first series of Ross Kemp on Gangs the crew were warned that wearing body armour would only provoke the gangs to test it.

They have been careful to heed this advice but still find themselves in difficult situations.

In Poland, Kemp and his camera man were at one point alone on wasteland talking to balaclava clad football hooligans who became less and less cooperative.

Their hooligan friends watched from nearby rooftops, armed with hammers and axes.

No one had told them they were dealing with a Mitchell brother and Kemp eventually turned off his camera at the gang’s request.

But this situation and many like it has not stopped the presenter from once again placing himself in danger, entering a warzone in Ross Kemp in Afghanistan, due to be screened on Sky One in January.

“Adrenalin is addictive, there is a definite high from being in dangerous situations,” he admits.

Winning the BAFTA in May for the latest gangs series probably helped.

One audience member shouts: “But you’re an actor,”

“Please tell my agent that!” Kemp quips back.

He is keen to point out that he is not a journalist, which he claims means his work is not dominated by an agenda. He repeats this several times.

“I’m not interested in giving people my opinion,” he says seemingly unaware that journalism is supposed to be objective “I want people to make up their own mind.”

Perhaps Kemp’s family has given him a distorted view of the role of a journalist?

His ex wife is Sun editor Rebekah Wade, the couple separated in 2005, something which Kemp himself fails to mention.

His brother is documentary producer Darren Kemp who produced the Panorama episode on Afghanistan.

“You say you are not a journalist, however you are close to people involved in Journalism. What kind of feedback have they given on your work and have they influenced your ideas and direction?”

He mumbles something about them being largely complimentary and then with a pained look on his face smiles directly at me and says:

“That’s a good question, it’s hard to answer, I think I’m going to go for a beer now!”

And so he runs away. I hope he doesn’t over do it and let that bladder go again. Ross Kemp? He’s not that hard.

By Fay Nyberg

Stardust

screen — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 16:12:27 +0000

With fantastic reviews averaging a 4.5 out of 5 I really had my hopes set on this film meeting the acclaimed standards….and it didn’t disappoint. With a great star cast not only is the storyline intriguing throughout but the acting makes it believable. The plot unravels around a young boy of 18, Tristan (Charlie Cox) and his quest to prove unconditional love for Victoria (Sienna Miller) the beauty of his hometown ‘Wall’. Wall is so named as its perimeter is outlined with a high wall, guarded at the only possible point of exit by an old man who claims the wall separates human life with the magical realm of Stormhold. Thus Tristan’s journey unfolds when the star he promises to retrieve for his love’s hand in marriage, falls beyond the wall. With the help of Tristan’s own undiscovered heritage and his naturally charming and innocent ways he manages to fight the mystical world for what he desires. His travels are filled with copious amounts of tears and death, and yet he also finds true love, friendship and belonging in this mysterious world.

The cameo by Gervais is the only real disappointing part of this film. Too much focus is made of his 3 minute involvement, however his character does offer some laughs and like the character played by Rupert Everett we see a different element to their usual performances. Instead of focusing his jokes around others misfortune, Gervais pokes fun at himself. Likewise, Everett whom we associate with strong male characters such as Prince Charming in Shrek, begins as we’d expect only to die 5 seconds later.

With several sub-plots running at the same time throughout this tale, it can at times be difficult to keep up with the stories until they merge together. However, clever use of spirits and ghosts keep the viewer fully informed at all times between the action. I thoroughly enjoyed this film as it offered more than just a typical love story, although it could be deemed quite predictable, the way the film is played out keeps the viewer on the edge of their seats. With a race to find the star, a battle between good and evil and true love overcoming all this film ticks all the right boxes, and offers something exciting for everybody.

The film does have moments of rather graphic death, in particular the use of a voodoo doll, yet the re-emergence of each dying character into a ghoul makes it all seem rather light-hearted. A film with excellent camera shots and captivating characters, Stardust offers all round first-class entertainment for all ages. A definite must see and an advisable stocking filler too!

By Lisa Etherington

Shrek The Third

screen — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 16:09:11 +0000

Shrek the Third opens back in the kingdom of Far Far Away. The frog King is sadly just about to croak (sorry) and, on his deathbed he names Shrek as his heir. However, just before he dies, he mentions that there is one other legitimate heir, Arthur. Shrek, desperate not to be burdened with responsibility, resolves to fetch him and sets out for Worcestershire High. Rather inconveniently, he finds out as just he’s leaving that he’s going to be a father. And, if that weren’t bad enough, when he finally finds Arthur he isn’t exactly king material. Meanwhile, Prince Charming has assembled an army of fairytale villains to help him seize control of Far Far Away and write his own happily ever after and with Shrek away there doesn’t seem to be anyone who can stop him…The problem with this latest instalment of the series is that it feels mechanical and there’s little to endear it to the audience. The first Shrek was a pleasant surprise, a well written side-swipe at the fairytale universe so long dominated by Disney. The second was, like the first, superbly scripted but with a huge budget behind it to enable almost every voice to be a big celebrity cameo. But, silly as it may sound, it also had emotional depth, Shrek deciding whether he could grow up and make sacrifices for his wife. In Shrek the Third this is absent and, though the polish remains, the heart of the film isn’t really there. Celebrity cameos have been ramped up with Arthur being voiced by Justin Timberlake but this simply adds to the vapidity. Also, in contrast to the warm fuzziness of the first two films, there are moments in Shrek the Third that are a little spine-hilling. Shrek’s anxiety-filled baby dream is quite disconcerting and the moment where Snow White uses her woodland creatures to attack a couple of guards is, quite frankly, terrifying.This isn’t to say that there aren’t some cracking moments. The frog chorus of Live and Let Die stands out as does the clever use of Shakespearean English as a kind of teen slang. And naturally Eddie Murphy and Antonio Banderas are on form as the sidekicks. But these far spread moments and the still-excellent soundtrack can’t conceal what is essentially just a token effort to complete the trilogy and provide more of a license to print money.

Written by Tom King