Reasonable Doubt - Reasonably good film

There seems to be a trend in ‘straight to DVD’ movies these days... it involves getting an A-list star’s face on all its promotional material and basically marketing it as if they’re in it all the way through.  In the case of ‘Reasonable Doubt’ you may have noticed Samuel L Jackson’s foreboding face glaring at you from the posters.  Yes, he is in it.  No, he’s not in it as much as most people would probably like.

It’s about a District Attorney (who’s definitely NOT Samuel L Jackson) who, while driving home drunk, runs over a man and then leaves him for dead.  Later he discovers that Samuel L Jackson has been charged with the crime and so our tipsy lawyer must search his soul as to whether or not to let Sam take the fall.  There are a few more plot points which I won’t go into, as they will give away the ‘twists and turns’ that are involved.

Regarding the ‘twists and turns’ – you may see some of them coming and you may not believe the others.  There are a few moments in the film where you really do have to ‘suspend your disbelief’ to actually carry on watching.  Just enjoy Sam’s performance and don’t think too much about the gaps in logic.

Basically, ‘Reasonable Doubt’ is an okay film.  If you like thrillers you can certainly do worse.  It’s one of those films that, if you stumble across it on TV late at night, it’s worth watching.  However, you probably might feel a little cheated if you paid full price to buy it on Blu-ray, especially as Samuel L Jackson isn’t in it as much as most people would probably like.

Best to watch/rent first before you buy.

6/10 May just keep you awake if Freddy Krueger was haunting your nights

21 Grams - A hard, but rewarding watch

There are some films that you can watch while you do the ironing and still understand everything that is happening.  Other times you can pop out to make a cup of tea and still return to the film without missing anything important.  Those sorts of films have their place.  They’re easy-watching and won’t strain your brain. ’21 Grams’ is NOT one of those.

You have to pay attention here.  For the story of ’21 Grams’ is also NOT told in chronological order, therefore you will frequently see things that are at the end of a two-hour movie when you’re only ten minutes into the film.  I mention this now because most people who talk about ’21 Grams’ normally mention how well acted it is and how good the story is.  And, to be fair, I would agree on both those points.  The acting (from the three primary leads: Sean Penn, Naomi Watts and Benicio Del Toro) is as good as you would expect from three such stalwarts of modern cinema.  Plus the story, regarding how the said three leads are brought together from very different backgrounds/lives through one tragic event, is also told well.

However, the story and acting is second to how the film is told.  Like I said... it does get a little confusing sometimes.  It jumps from here to there and, not matter how much I like it (which is a lot!), I still have to be in the right mood to watch it.  If I’m in any way tired or not in the mood to really think about a film’s story, then I skip this film all together until I’m ready to appreciate it.

Basically, it’s a great drama, just told in a way that requires you to really concentrate.

Also, although the three leads I mentioned get much deserved praise for their acting, it’s also worth mentioning the three supporting actors (Eddie Marsan, Melissa Leo and Charlotte Gainsbourg) who all turn in equally compelling performances.

9/10 almost as perfect as The Godfather

Bad Teacher (2011) - Bad Teacher (good fun)

Okay, I'll admit I'm a bit fan of Cameron Diaz (please don't ask why), so you must appreciate that this review is heavily biased.

Comedies are fun, only many aren't funny. This one actually is. Okay, so it doesn't offer anything particularly original and it is a bit vulgar at times (even I was shocked by the language - without the few four letter words, it could have been cut down to a 12 certificate!), but it's just fun - fun, fun, fun. Daft, silly, frivolous and perfect to unwind to.

Like most people, you're probably used to seeing Cameron Diaz as a nice girl-next-door type. She probably relished the chance to let her evil side shine (and shine it does). She should be bad more often. She's even better bad than she it good.

In short, don't expect spectacular, just chill out and expect fun.

(I also wish that Cameron Diaz was my teacher when I was young - again, don't ask why)

8/10 The Force is definitely strong with this one

Mallrats - Finally getting the credit it deserves

Writer/director (and dare I say 'actor?'), Kevin Smith, introduced the cinematic world to the mega low-budget film 'Clerks' in 1994.  And, in short, despite its tiny budget, it was a commercial (and more importantly) critical success.  Therefore, Smith was afforded a bigger budget and with it bigger stars for his next outing, the 1995 (semi follow-up) 'Mallrats.' Way before Marvel introduced us to its mainstream 'shared universe,' Smith was already setting all his films ('Clerks, Mallrats and the subsequent releases, too) in his own 'shared universe,' complete with jokes and references to characters in other films.

'Mallrats' follows the exploits of two - semi - 'losers' (Brodie and TS played by Jason Lee and Jeremy London) who both happen to get dumped by their respective girlfriends on the same day.  To generally drown their sorrows, they head to the local mall to generally 'hang out.' However, it's fair to say that the adventures they get into involve more than just ordering a few slushies in the food court and doing a bit of window shopping.  Not only do they come up with weird and wonderful plans to win back their exes, but they also get entangled with psychotic security guards, underage girls who study older men by, er, well... you'll have to watch it and find out, plus - of course - regulars 'Jay' and 'Silent Bob' - a pair of losers/drug dealers who have a habit of drawing trouble wherever they go.

What follows is everything from a zany teen comedy with plenty of screwball antics which never takes itself seriously and yet also has a fair few points of social commentary and genuine heart thrown in their for good measure.  Sounds great, huh?  Well, the critics of the time absolutely hated it.  In fact, in one of Smith's later films, he even used snippets of various scathing critics' reviews to describe a fictional film that other characters were talking about.  I guess it's fair to say that it didn't fair too well at the Box Office.  Which, in my opinion, is an absolute tragedy.  I loved it and always have and, I'm pleased to say, that as the years have passed, it's gradually found its true cult following and is now regarded as a 'worthy successor/follow up' to the excellent 'Clerks.'

Shannon Doherty (who I'm reliably informed was very famous at the time, even though I hadn't seen anything with her in!) surprisingly takes lead billing, even though she's not in it that much.  Plus you have Kevin Smith's real life mate - a very young Ben Affleck - in there, also as a bit of an extended cameo.

Overall, it's just a great film.  Yes, most of the jokes are a bit, er, 'adult' in nature, so it's probably more akin to a sort of 'American Pie' type film (albeit with more heart and social commentary) than a family film.  Plus it's aged well.  The gags don't rely on (many) 'pop culture' references for laughs, therefore they still stand up well to this day.  I can see the latter teens of today appreciating the silliness on display here just as much as I did when I first watched it.  And, I'm glad to say that now I'm in my forties, I still get as many laughs watching it now as I did back in the nineties when it was first released.

However, I am still yet to see a 'sailboat' in one of those 'magic eye' pictures.  You'll have to watch the film to get that reference.  I hate those 'magic eye' pictures.  I really do.

8/10 The Force is definitely strong with this one

Night of the Comet - Girls just wanna have fun (even while the world’s ending)

‘Night of the Comet’ often gets hailed as a ‘classic eighties zombie film.’ And it is... even though it is a bit ‘light’ on the zombie side.  In fact, I think I only saw about four of the undead (and two of them were in a dream!).  However, if you can forgive the lack of blasting flesh-eaters’ brains out then you’ll find quite an enjoyable cult classic.

Yes, it was made in the eighties, therefore you have to put up with the obligatory big hair and bushy eyebrows.  Basically... a freak comet turns 99% of the world’s population to piles of dust and clothes, leaving only two gun-totting (and yet slightly dappy) sisters to fend for themselves in a world (not very full of) zombie and rapists (or people who want to just simply do strange things with your precious blood).

Luckily for our two lycra-clad heroines, help is on hand by loveable trucker, played by Star Trek Voyager’s ‘Chakotay’ (probably his only other career-defining performance to date!).  So... the three of them have to generally have to fight for their lives for the best part of the movie.  And, for the record, the ‘best parts’ are the first and third acts.  The middle segment is kind of taken up with the three of them hanging around a deserted radio station, which is a slight drop in pace when compared to the rest of the film.

This film is pure cheese.  There will be plenty of people out there who will only see it as outdated and silly.  And it is.  But that doesn’t mean that it isn’t a fun watch at the same time!  So, if you want to spend an hour and a half of your time with a couple of girls whose hobbies include playing arcades, casual sex and Uzis, then give this one a go.  You may just spot a zombie in there somewhere.

7/10 if I woke up on Groundhog Day and had to watch this again, I could live with that

The Inbetweeners 2 - A crass, but funny, send-off for the guys

There seem to be two camps of people: those who loved the ‘Inbetweeners’ TV series and hate their filmic outings and those who loved the TV series and also enjoyed the films.  Basically, I have yet to meet anyone who didn’t enjoy the three series (so track them down if you haven’t already) and yet the films do tend to divide people.

Perhaps both films rely too much on the boys meeting (and therefore interacting) with other characters, instead of concentrating on the banter between the quartet.  Plus the story – obviously – has to be stretched out to the full hour and a half length, rather than the ‘snappier’ twenty-two minute episode length.  And, in my opinion, the second film actually surpasses the first in terms of sheer laughs.  Yes, it’s still not as ‘punchy’ as the shorter-length episodes, but I found it generally funnier overall than its predecessor.

Basically, if you already know what sort of humour you’ll be subjected to in ‘The Inbetweeners’ movies then you should like this.  If you don’t, you really better check out a TV episode or two before you chance one of their films.  The film, like the series, charts the seemingly never-ending exploits of four hormonally-charged teenage boys and their experiences in wooing the opposite gender.  And it’s filled with crudeness, lewdness and generally scenes that will make you want to be sick in a swimming pool (you’ll have to actually watch the film to get that one).

Don’t expect a great plot.  Don’t expect anything other than a fun film, packed with adult humour which guys will probably be able to relate to, based on their own experiences as hormonally-charged teenagers where nothing/no one seems to go their way.  Yes, it’s not quite as sharp as the TV series, but it’s still a fun way to send the boys off in style.

9/10 almost as perfect as The Godfather

Venom - Highly watchable 

Throw a half-brick up into the air and odds are that it will land on - yet another - superhero movie.  They're everywhere.  Granted they're pretty profitable and every studio wants a slice of Disney/Marvel's share of the market, so you can't blame Sony for 'rebooting' the popular anti-hero who was sort of featured in a Spiderman film which now feels like several hundred years ago.

Die-hard audiences weren't happy with how the titular character 'Venom' was portrayed before, but, due to various licensing deals between Sony and Disney, this outing won't feature Spiderman himself.  Therefore, few people had high hopes about whether this version would be much better than the previous effort.

I don't know much about the comic source material, but I'm suitably informed that this new film changes Venom's origins slightly.  A (typically mad) scientist intercepts a load of evil black space goo and decides to bring it back to Earth to eat us.  One such kindly portion of black computer-generated nastiness infects a San Francisco news reporter, Eddie Brock, and - sometimes - turns him into a giant monster with a desire to eat human body parts.  Nice, huh?

Now, for some reason, everything about 'Venom' shouldn't really work.  And yet it did.  Granted it's certainly no masterpiece, but it's great fun for all its - many - flaws.  For a start, as many pointed out, for a film which is based on an alien that likes to tear people apart, there's effectively no gore (it's PG-13 - a sign that possibly Sony are hoping to get Venom into Marvel's shared cinematic universe?).  This annoyed some, but, like I say, I don't know enough about the original to really let it bother me.

Marvel may be the bog kid on the block, but it's not beyond criticism, i.e. that almost every film without Loki is lacking a decent antagonist.  Well, even the worst MCU villain is better than the businessman/scientist who's supposed to be Venom's nemesis.  Yes, there's a post credit scene which is obviously designed to set up the next big villain and, from what I saw, he's going to be a damn sight more menacing that what we got here.  Then there's the special effects themselves.  They really aren't that good.  Okay, so they're what you'd expect from a film with a reasonable budget, but every time an 'alien' is on screen in its 'black goo' form, you can just tell it's been rendered and added on in post production.  Venom himself is slightly better and you can just about believe that he's on screen, but there are still times when the effects do let whatever 'realism' the film offers down.

Perhaps 'Venom's' main appeal is Tom Hardy.  He's an excellent actor in everything he does and he seems to be able to lift a potentially mediocre film to something that's actually good fun.  He's at his best when he's bantering with his 'alter-ego' as he can hear the alien creature in his head.  In fact, he has more chemistry with a disembodied voice than he does with the obligatory 'love interest' who I can't even remember her name.

I know that we're spoiled for choice when it comes to superhero movies, so, if you fancy one that isn't actually set in Marvel's 'shared universe' and is simple, fun and where you don't really have to think too hard about anything, then there's certainly worse about than 'Venom.'

7/10 if I woke up on Groundhog Day and had to watch this again, I could live with that