Film Review: Melancholia (2011)

"The earth is evil. We don't need to grieve for it."

Melancholia is Lars Von Trier's apocalyptic drama about a woman with severe depression. In part one, we see the wedding of Justine (Kirsten Dunst) to Michael (Alexander Skarsgard). She attempts to maintain a happy facade but really she is overwhelmed by the emptiness she feels. She tries to escape from her new husband and the wedding party as frequently as she can and ultimately ends up rejecting Michael's sexual advances and cheats on him. He leaves her. In part two, we see Justine's depression worsen which sees her looked after by her sister, Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and her husband, John (Keifer Sutherland). We also learn of a rogue planet, Melancholia that threatens to collide with the Earth, ending life.

The film is visually stunning. The opening super slow motion shots of various characters and planetary imagery is stunning, particularly of the horse and Justine in her wedding dress. We see the shots of the planets colliding so that we aren't distracted by not knowing whether the world will actually end. I think this is a fantastic way for us to focus purely on the emotions of the characters which is what really makes the film. The score is also amazing. It seems almost unusual to see a properly scored modern film but the impact of the music adds to the beautiful visuals.

The film is inspired by Von Trier's own experiences with depression. As a sufferer myself I can really relate to Justine. Kirsten Dunst's performance is amazing; one of the most accurate performances of the real effects and actions of a depressed person. It's really one of those films that you need to watch and experience, as mere words just won't have the same impact.

I came across a review which I felt really summed up my viewing experience:
 "For myself, all I could do was tremble. I knew that I loved the film – and that I never wanted to see it again. I still haven’t, but then I don’t need to. Just the memory of it feels like a scar, a scar to remind me of how wonderfully wounding cinema can be."

Amazing film that really hits very close to home for me.

Rating: 9/10

Film Review: The Hunger Games (2012)

"Welcome, and happy Hunger Games"

The Hunger Games is set in a dystopic world in the nation of Panem. The country is split into 12 districts, where people live in poverty and the capitol where the people live  a life of modern luxury. Every year the Hunger Games are held, partially to entertain the Capitol but also to punish the districts for past rebellions, and a male and female from each of the districts is chosen at random to compete to the death until there is only one left standing. When Primrose Everdeen (Willow Shields) is chosen her older sister Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) volunteers in her place. She is joined by Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) who has also been selected.

I was skeptical about this film at first as I'd read an interview with the author of the books stating that she hadn't ripped off the concept of Battle Royale. I still strongly disagree that she'd never heard of the Battle Royale films and think that this is basically those films for the Twilight generation.

However, I did enjoy the film. The concept of the future society is fantastic and the costumes and locations, especially those in the Capitol are amazingly creative and modern. The characters of Katniss and Peeta are likeable and played well. I found both characters to be quite realistic for such a big film. However, I didn't like the fact that we barely found out the names of the other tributes, let alone and information about the other districts or their stories. I assume there is more detail in the book or more information is to follow in the next films. Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson) and Cinna (Lenny Kravitz) are also worth a mention and hopefully will be present in the next films.

Overall, I did like the film and it was a lot better than I expected. However, I did feel that it was a poor man's Battle Royale that caters more to a Westernised audience. I would recommend watching it and will be watching the rest of the trilogy as and when.

Rating: 8/10

Film Review: Dream House (1998)

Directed by Graeme Campbell, Dream House is a film about a family who move into a fully kitted out, technologically advanced home. Designed by the father, Richard (Timothy Busfield) with the help of some Japanese investors. He moves in with his wife, Laura (Jennifer Dale) and son, Michael (Dan Petronijevic) and later sees the appearance of his daughter, Jenny (Lisa Jakub) and her boyfriend, Ray (Brennan Elliot) whom intend to rob the family. The house, known as 'Helen' (voiced by Pam Hyatt) then begins making too many of her own decisions and decides that the residents are no longer up to her standards.

The film has such potential as an idea and sadly falls really flat. The characters are really dull and sadly even the technology based house falls flat. I expected the house to be slightly on the unrealistic side with super fancy add ons, but really its gadgets and perks are probably dated even by 1998 standards! The plot was dull, the locations were dull; in fact nothing about this film isn't dull. The entire thing is really forgettable.

My advice, watch the episode of The Simpsons that references it (House Of Whacks - Treehouse of Horror XII). It's far superior!

Rating: 2/10

Simpsons rating: 10/10!

Film Review: Mega Shark Vs Crocasaurus (2010)

Mega Shark Vs Crocasaurus is another of those wonderful made-for-dvd movies frequently shown on the SyFy channel. The film sees some miners in the Congo accidentally unleash the Croc, which subsequently goes on a rampage! Meanwhile Mega Shark has also re-awoken to snack on the Corcasaurus' giant eggs. An unlikely trio of Dr Terry McCormick (Jaleel White), Agent Hutchinson (Sarah Lieving) and Nigel Putnam (Gary Stretch) go in search of the beasts in order to destroy them.

There's plenty of shark and croc antics, with the pair both causing mass destruction. The main trio of characters are a great mix. I love Sarah Lieving! She's great as the hard faced Agent and a good role model for women. It's a really fun film and really keeps your attention even though it is really predictable, but that's half the fun. 

My only criticism of the film was that I didn't think there was a lot of shark vs croc, more just them causing damage separately; maybe they should have teamed up rather than go on solo missions! Then again, maybe that's the next film.

Definitely worth watching! I'd also recommend reading the 'Goofs' section on the film's IMDb page for some giggles too!

Rating: 8/10

Film Review: Rage Of The Yeti (2011)

Rage Of The Yeti is a made for tv movie, specifically for the SyFy channel. I didn’t actually tune in until the first half hour had passed, but I managed to catch up pretty quickly. The film sees a group of treasure hunters searching for valuables in the Arctic. However, they run into trouble when the weather turns particularly bad and one by one group members start to disappear. 

Rage Of The Yeti is one of those films that’s so bad it’s good! As long as you watch it expecting a light hearted, stereotypical story you’ll enjoy it for what it is. Those that think it is a genuinely ‘bad’ film that was made by a bunch of amateurs are very wrong. As a film created purposefully for enjoyment it succeeds 100% in its mission. Sometimes film doesn’t need to be full of meaning and hidden depths.

The characters are forgettable, but it certainly wasn’t the worst acting I’ve seen. The CGI monsters were obviously fake, but they were well designed and more interesting that the typical bigfoot style yeti. The baby ones were particularly cute!

Although I wouldn’t watch this again, it did what it said on the tin and entertained me, so what more could you ask for!

Rating: 6/10