Kingsman vs Cinderella

Ok, so the reason why we're reviewing these two very different films together is because we went to see them in the theatre around the same time. Plus they are both supposed to be quite fantastical films, so why not?

Kingsman

Pros: We have a huge weak spot for action and man, did this film deliver in that aspect. Seriously, the action was the best we've seen in modern movies in a long while. The action sequences were really impressive and incredibly smooth. We prefer this over shaky-cam or ridiculous close-ups any day. Also, the other reason why the action struck a cord with us, was because they had taken the time to make us invested in the characters producing the action.

It's a functioning parody, as it has its own storyline and works independently of the films it parodies. It parodies the spy genre perfectly right down to the villain's lisp. The music in combination with the action was brilliant. And yes, we are talking about the massacre of fundamentalist religious zealots. Plus the character of the mentor, considering his age (because the older characters aren't normally your favourites in Hollywood films), was a freaking awesome dude. In addition, no lame love story.

Cons: Lack of good, well developed and independent female characters. This might be because it does parody the spy genre, and we all know that in those movies women usually play second fiddle to the leading man despite her talents and accomplishments. 

We felt that the minor characters weren't given sufficient motivation thusly their characters were left halfway.

Cinderella

Pros: The changes that were done to the storyline worked well. This time, the prince wasn't such a useless bore and he actually did stuff, instead of telling his servants to go look for the girl he supposedly loves...

Cinderella's character was pretty much what she was supposed to be; she was kind and gentle but not a doormat though. The sets were great and they didn't use CGI excessively. On the contrary, the CGI added to the fairytale atmosphere that the sets had already created.

Cons: All in all, the film was pretty forgettable though. It wasn't bad, but not remarkable either. Lady Tremaine wasn't as impressive as we would've wished her to be. The love story wasn't particularly gripping or interesting. It wouldn't be a problem unless they hadn't made it such a big part of the story. 

General matters

The storyline in both movies was flowing naturally, there wasn't anything that felt forced. Cinematography was great in both and they didn't feel too long either. The actors also performed admirably with the roles they were given. Kingsman wins this "battle" by far. Because. Action. Plus it had the advantage of one superior character. And let's face it; it's been a month since we saw Kingsman and we just saw Cinderella last week and we can remember the previous in detail, but the latter we've mostly forgotten about.

Pick of the month

The Secret of NIMH (1982, Don Bluth)

This animated gem is grossly underrated. It is one of the best animated features to come from Hollywood. Though it's considered to be a children's film, it has a lot of depth and much to offer to adult viewers too. This movie's heart and soul is it's main character, Mrs. Brisby. She's the manifestation that a female character can be strong without being a physically tough ass-kicker, as well as independent and still ask for help. She's truly a great role model. All the other characters in the film are also very solid and entertaining.  The story's very easy to follow but nevertheless manages to maintain a mysterious and fantastical atmosphere. The animation is breathtakingly beautiful and the colours are stunning. Jerry Goldsmith's score is melodic and fits the movie's mood perfectly (it's our favourite from his repertoire). This is probably Don Bluth's best work and is a great piece of entertainment for all the family, children and adults alike.

In case of a zombie apocalypse

The title is pretty self-explanatory. These are the people we'd want around to save our asses when the nasty decaying corpses would attack. We've omitted characters with similar traits (eg. Michone). We've rated them according to their survival instinct and skill as well as their capacity for compassion (if they didn't have any, why would they bother helping us?) 

1. Daryl Dixon from The Walking Dead. This guy is like Bear Grylls of the zombie world. He'd probably survive almost anything, since he is incredibly self-reliant. The reason he is #1 is because he would definitely save those weaker than himself. And because in the beginning you think that a character like his isn't very compassionate, but boy, does he prove everyone wrong.

2. Scarlett O'Hara from Gone with the Wind. Hah, we bet you didn't see this one coming. Scarlett doesn't seem to be the most compassionate of humans, but nonetheless she does protect those around her, though begrudgingly so. But it is precisely because of her lack of warmth and her calculating character that she is able to make those difficult decisions that no one else is willing to make.  

3. Michael Vronsky from The Deer Hunter. Just check out his description on our previous list. We really don't need to elaborate why he's a perfect fit for this list. Why he's #3 is the film itself, since it's a drama, the movie doesn't really explore his survivalist side except briefly in the war.

4. Ripley from Alien(s). We took both films, since she emerges victorious through each.  You should be familiar with her character; if you were to be with her in dire circumstances, that means you'd probably make it. 

5. Selena from 28 Days Later. She is, at first, a pure survivalist and very capable as well. Her caring side needs maybe a bit tuning, but she does, eventually, reconnect with her humanity.

6. Mulan from Mulan. Now here we have a highly compassionate person, she would in all likelihood even die to save you. In the Disney-universe she is pretty kick-ass, but in relation to these others, she is a bit softer in character. 

7. Indiana Jones from Raiders of the Lost Ark. In this character's case, it's the combination of his smarts and his physical ability that would make him good company in a zombie-infested world. 

8. Karen from Blade. She is on this list simply because she's so persistently smart. She has no noteworthy physical skills,  so it's a testament to her quick wit that she manages to survive in a world where people like her normally wouldn't. She's also the main reason we like this film.

9. Richard Hannay from The 39 Steps. Being on the run is a good test of your stamina and your problem-solving skills, we'd guess. This particular fugitive excels in both.

10.  John McClane from Die Hard. This idiot is just so ridiculously headstrong that he'd survive because he would simply refuse to die.

  

We've crossed over to the dark side

Right.......It's so painful to even think about what we're about to write right now that we don't even want to go to the topic...It's time to reveal our guilty pleasures. When we say guilty pleasures, we mean guilty pleasures. Ie. we're actually embarrassed to confess that we like these films. Some we can say that we like (but they're such b-movies that one can't call them good films with a straight face), but others...We'll let you be the judge on what gives us most shame. Without further ado:

1. Tremors. Now here's a b-movie that's so ridiculous and entertaining it's almost a good movie. It's so cheesily funny you just have to enjoy it. 

2. Lethal Weapon. If we had to choose between action or some other lighter genre, we'd pick action. You've all seen this, need we even explain why we like it?

3. Tarzan. Here's a film that wouldn't be on this list if not for two things. Sappiness and 90s' Phil Collins. Really Disney?? Really??

4. Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl. We know that most people like this movie as it is. We were both in our teens when we saw it the first time and we were pretty stoked, but after some contemplation and education in good film, this has definitely become a guilty pleasure. It was like The Mask of Zorro; it had been so long since a decent adventure film so we made it into a bigger deal than it really was.

5. Enchanted. Wow, now we're getting deeper in our shame. We have no excuses, this movie just works. 

6. Hairspray. We like the 60s, okay? And the music does get stuck in your head.

7. Confessions of a Shopaholic. And the hits just keep on coming.... We don't even have words for this one. But hey, it passes the Bechdel test, so suck it!

8. Clueless. All the references to Emma weren't lost on us. Also, Paul Rudd was pretty adorable.

9. Broken Arrow. Okay, we want to just dig ourselves graves and never come out again. These last two movies are truly horrific. We mean, awful disasters. This one is not the last simply because John Travolta's overacting is so hilarious. 

10. Hard Rain. Holy shit brain!!!! We don't know if our brains suffered strokes or whatever, but having two Christian Slater movies that we like (and neither is Prince of Thieves which is bad too but at least it has Alan Rickman). We want to fall off the face of the earth.... We told you, it was going to be something shameful. Now you can pat yourself on the back and say "good job, at least you don't have two embarrassingly 90s Slater action movies on your guilty pleasure list".

Pick of the month

Love with the Proper Stranger (1963, Robert Mulligan)

We're surprised that this movie doesn't have a higher profile in modern film society. It has two really legendary actors who weren't merely eye-candy. They could actually act too. First of all, we think this movie is one of the best romantic films ever made. Although, in reality, we couldn't point out the romance, but it still exists in the movie. One needs to watch the film in order to understand that paradox. 

Also, don't be put off by the idea. The surprise pregnancy idea is very overused nowadays (and often badly so), but heck, they really went deep here. And that's simply because the writing is brilliant. These are real characters who do what normal people would do in such a situation. It's no fairytale romance nonsense. Both leads are very sympathetic, even though the guy, at first, comes off as a bit of a...douche. But he's not. For a female character in a romantic film, Angela kicks ass. Holy cow is she awesome! 

Pay special attention to the dialogue, it's what make these characters so deep, complex and relatable. It's the last classic romantic comedy (although it's more of a dramedy, the same as The Apartment).  

Family business part III

Sorry for the long holiday break, but it was needed. We return with part III ie. our favourite children. Our main requirement is that the characters are under 18 and interact with their family. 

1. Lucas from The Impossible. Holy cow this kid is beyond amazing! His character is very well-built; you sympathise with him almost immediately. It's hard to believe that he is so young since he can keep a cool head in such a dangerous and stressful situation.

2. Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird. One of the most realistic children in ANY film. We love the fact that she doesn't like being a "normal" girl. She wears trousers and fights in school. She's 0% annoying. 

2. Jem from To Kill a Mockingbird. They're like a team, you can't have one without the other. Jem has a little bit more common sense maybe and is able to restrain himself, but that might just be because he's older. 

4. Mary from The Secret Garden. She's an interesting character because she's very precocious but then she's not annoying at all. That's very hard to do on film. We don't really get how come she can be so likable but at the same time kind of bossy and stubborn. Hah, maybe because we're like that too?

5.  The daughter from A Quiet Place. She has a great character arc and it is especially rare to see a girl character this young to have this much meat in a role, considering the film is a basic thriller. She has amazing interactions with her family members, her dad in particular.

6. Hugo from Hugo. Okay, so he's an orphan, but there are flashbacks to his father and their relationship is present on screen although Hugo doesn't interact with him. Also, he does form attachments to a new family. So, ha! He's very innovative and independent. He's also just really sweet.

7. Helena from MirrorMask. She's exactly what a teenager should be on film. Someone you relate to but who also clearly is a teenager. She's smart and possesses a very vivid imagination. 

8. Satsuki from My Neighbour Totoro. The best big sister ever. Miyazaki has always had amazingly solid child characters, and we would've included more of them, but Satsuki is the only one who interacts with her family often enough to make this list. She's caring, loving and strong.

9. Wendy from Peter Pan. She's truly her own person, she won't conform simply because others tell her to. We had very similar imaginary role plays as children. She's also a very thoughtful big sister.

10. Jacob from Taken. When you first see this boy, you don't really know what to think. He seems a bit emotionless almost, but it turns out that he feels very deeply for those around him. He's just very introverted. 

11. Marty McFly from Back to the Future. Right, so he really pushes the age limit, but come on! Of course we had to have him! Plus his interactions with his parents are the most hilarious. He's a very typical teenager, in a good way.

12. Lilo from Lilo & Stitch. She's one of the most authentic child characters we've seen, especially considering it's Disney. We love her weirdness, we totally relate to that. It's good to see children having temper tantrums etc. It's called reality.

13. Holly from The Nice Guys. Probably one of the best girl characters that has surfaced from an action-comedy movie in recent years. She's smart but not annoying, she's a kid but not bratty. The film was also a lot of fun.

  

Gone Girl vs Interstellar

Well, we decided to review these movies together since we went to see both of them within one week and also as they both are mainly dramas we thought they were comparable, to some respect at least. We focused mainly on character development in the comparison part.

Gone Girl

To get it off our chests: the female characters were great. Very unconventional for a Hollywood film. Truly intriguing in a way we haven't seen in some time on modern cinema screen. Interestingly the source material and screenplay is by a woman (which is freaking awesome since there aren't that many females involved in that level of film making), but you wouldn't know since both male and female characters are wonderfully complex and neither sex is left undeveloped. And the fact that "the public" might think that being a woman has anything to do with being capable of creating complicated and realistic male characters need to read their Jane Austens, George Eliots or Agatha Christies.

The building of characters was executed brilliantly: all of them were more than just the sum of their actions, like we all are. A great example of this is the wife: how she isn't just a femme fatale or a sociopath, but something beyond that. Or how the husband behaves like a complete middle-aged prick but then he isn't that at all in fact.  Also, that building up of characters was woven expertly to the story when more was always revealed about the characters and the viewer's expectations changed as well. One way of knowing whether a movie has good characters is trying to describe them to someone who has not seen the film without mentioning their appearance, occupation or actions.  

Relationships between people were gripping and quite believable. We liked the fact that the film took it's time to explain the characters' motives, while also leaving things to the viewer to discover. Thanks for perpetuating the myth of women lying about rape, by the way. We get that it's meant to make her look more sociopathic, but seriously, there would have been other ways to establish that. 

General overview and opinion: Visuals were good, particularly we enjoyed the camerawork and editing. The cinematography reminded us of classic, golden age Hollywood Hitchcock, like Vertigo. Even though the music wasn't melodically memorable, it fit the story and was efficient in building tension and mystery. The story was very coherent: you could easily retell it and not miss any of the important bits, but the idea is also very simple and in itself interesting. All in all, a very entertaining, thought-provoking and just an insanely good cinematic experience (and we didn't even think of the run time).     

Interstellar

Word of warning: we have not had good Nolan experiences in the past....so we did go in with some prejudices. We like to fancy that we're pretty good at setting them aside though. Although the movie is quite long it only has one main character, not that it's a bad thing, eg. The Deer Hunter. The reason why we found it to be a problem here is because he's just not that developed or interesting; we could not describe him outside of his profession or actions. The same issue extends to the supporting characters as well, apart from a few scenes with Michael Caine or Matt Damon, who we could assign to have more personality because their motives are more prominent than their actions. Some motives are given to the others as well, but they leave a more fleeting impression.

We thought that the the crucial relationship would be that of the father and daughter, but then in the end it wasn't? Because then they had another focus as well (that of Dr Brand), but they forgot that there needs to be a relationship...It was a repeat mistake from Nolan as this happened with the last Batman film as well. They never truly conversed about anything of significance for a lasting human relationship. Those conversations they did have didn't reveal anything important about characters or interpersonal relations. The conversations seemed to only serve the purpose of continuing and furthering along the story. In complete opposition to Gone Girl, the way that the characters reacted to other people's behaviour and actions or to diverse situations made no sense. For instance, how on earth would a father leave his dying daughter to live with a woman with whom he has no such relationship. Instead, Nolan should have just picked a relationship to focus on so that the story wouldn't have been so incoherent and all over the place. It would've been far better to focus on one theme and then following through thoroughly. 

Lastly, we just have to say that Nolan's female characters....kind of suck. We detest the fact that women are always portrayed through men and that women seem to be some kind of a "standard" for goodness or that they are the "reward" for the man.

General overview and opinions: The visuals were stunning as one would expect, the editing disturbed us a bit as it wasn't smooth and didn't really fit the content. The music exceeded our expectations a little, but that wasn't very hard considering that we were expecting Hans Zimmer's "best of". In relation to the length, it felt like 2 hrs 50 minutes. That has a lot to do with the incoherence of the story and bland characters. The idea of the story was a freaking brilliant one, which makes us pretty sad because it would've been SO good had it been truly explored. We would've been way more interested had it been philosophical debate and moral dilemma about saving the human species.