Agent Cody Banks Film Review
Posted on December 31st, 2010
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Excerpt: Agent Cody Banks might be able to kill you with his two fingers, but he and his film has got a bit of growing up to do before they can start messing with the action adventure big boys. Agent Cody Banks stars the young Frankie Muniz (Malcolm from the superb television comedy Malcolm in the Middle) as Cody Banks, a seemingly normal, everyday American boy, who just happens to be enrolled in the CIA抯 Agent Development Programme. This programme takes young people who display particular skills and trains them in the art of espionage, but with the understanding that they…
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Against The Ropes Film Review
Posted on December 31st, 2010
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Excerpt: Inspired by the true story of the rise of Jackie Kallen, the most successful female boxing promoter in the history of the sport, Against The Ropes stars Meg Ryan as the promoter intent on making her way in the male-orientated world of professional boxing.Ryan抯 depiction of the uncompromising and strong-willed Jewish woman who rises from sports secretary to promoting some of the top prize fighters in boxing, crackles with intensity and self-belief, portraying Kallen as an edgy and ultimately very alluring woman. The film focuses on the relationship between Kallen and her prot間?Luther Shaw (Omar Epps). The cultural conflict…
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After.Life Film Review
Posted on December 31st, 2010
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Excerpt: Christina Ricci struggles to understand whether she is dead or alive in nervy thriller After.Life which tries hard to spin a web of confusion with misdirection and red herrings. There抯 a valiant bid to keep us guessing until the end, though giving the viewer too many differing opinions eventually proves a downfall rather than an added few twists in the tale.Ricci plays Anna, leading an unhappy life with boyfriend Paul (Long). Out for a dinner at a lavish restaurant, one of the first thing Paul says is 搇et抯 try not to fight tonight? Alas, it抯 not to be as Paul…
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After The Wedding Film Review
Posted on December 31st, 2010
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Excerpt: Frequently, the best surprises are the ones we抮e least prepared for. Immaculately executed as a shattering family portrait though packaged with little more flair than your average daytime soap import, one would be forgiven for discounting After The Wedding as a cinematic event not worth a single trip to the Cineplex, let alone a second look. Yet moments into its closing credits, and not only has it reversed its ill-suited premise, but confounded even the most sneering expectations with an emotional posture so honestly self-controlled, it抯 hard to find any faults.Thorny with an edge, and almost gut-wrenchingly affecting, Susanne Bier抯…
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After the Rehearsal Film Review
Posted on December 31st, 2010
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Excerpt: This latter-period Bergman entry from 1984 may not rank as one of the Swedish director抯 essential pictures, but with its self-referential set-up and confessional tone there抯 still plenty to engage fans of misery and despair.Set entirely on a single theatre stage following a production rehearsal, the film finds controlling theatre director Henrik Vogler (Josephson) reminiscing about former actress, alcoholic and lover Rakel (Thulin), who we later see appear on stage to confront him. Most of the film is taken up with another confrontation – that of Henrik and Rakel抯 daughter Anna (Olin), who has also become an impassioned young actress…
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Aeon Flux Film Review
Posted on December 31st, 2010
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Excerpt: In the 25th century, Earth has been ravaged by some sort of mysterious plague which has killed off about 90% of the population (Gaia抯 revenge, perhaps?). Those who are left live in Bregna, the perfect city, ruled over by the benevolent dictatorship of the Goodchild Regime, run by the Chairman Trevor Goodchild (Csokas) and his brother Oren (Miller). Most people are content to live in the walled city and be taken care of, but a few rebel. Known as Monicans, they work to bring down the Goodchilds (Goodchildren?). Aeon Flux (Theron) is a Monican who is ordered by her handler…
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Ae Fond Kiss Film Review
Posted on December 31st, 2010
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Excerpt: Ken Loach directs film with happy ending shock! Has the last hope andbastion of the left in British cinema sold out? Fear not. For though Ken抯new film is set in a comfortably middle class Glasgow free from junkies andgangsters, he and screenwiter Paul Laverty are not scared to ask some hardquestions about religion, race and immigration in post-911, post-Iraq War,憁ulti-cultural?Britain. Casim (Atta Yaqub) is the beloved only son of first-generation Pakistaniimmigrants. Devout Muslims, Casim抯 parents have worked hard and struggledagainst prejudice to establish a home in Glasgow and to educate and providefor their three children. Casim is…
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Adventureland Film Review
Posted on December 31st, 2010
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Excerpt: An understated, coming-of-age story, Adventureland arrives largely unheralded from writer-director Greg Mottola, the man who helmed the brashly enjoyable Superbad. A more thoughtful and altogether more adult feature, it抯 just as appealing in its own way.It抯 1987 in Pittsburgh and James Brennan (Jesse Eisenberg) is looking forward to spending his summer touring Europe with friends. Except his parents don抰 have the money they promised him, so instead he takes a job as a games attendant at Adventureland, a crappy local amusement park. Things take a turn for the better though when he meets Em (Kristen Stewart), a disaffected fellow employee…
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About Schmidt Film Review
Posted on December 31st, 2010
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Excerpt: Jack Nicholson, it has to be said, does the whole wide-eyed, crazy routine very well indeed (see The Shining, Anger Management or Batman). But About Schmidt reminds us that Nicholson does understated even better, in this languid comedy-drama that harks back to the golden era of the 1970s when mainstream cinema wasn抰 afraid to approach important themes like alienation from society and the elusive search for meaning in existence.Nicholson plays Walter Schmidt, a stoic and serious-minded fellow who finds himself confronting the essential redundancy of his life when he retires from a virtual lifetime working for an insurance company. Swiftly…
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Adrift Film Review
Posted on December 31st, 2010
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Excerpt: You can imagine the pitch for Adrift; its Open Water, but *without* the sharks! We open with a prologue – high school buddies Amy (Pratt), Zach (Lange), Lauren (Hillis) and Dan (Dane) pledge lifelong friendship. A few years later, they gather to celebrate Zach’s birthday. Dan, who has been doing well for himself, invites them to join him on his luxury yacht. Dan is surrounded by the trappings of wealth, among them the beautiful Michelle (Richardson). Amy has similarly moved on, and turns up with husband James (Speight, Jr) and baby Sara in tow.Delighted to be together again, they are…
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