Archive for September, 2009
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Released 2nd October 2009
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We would be lying if we said that Reading lad Ricky Gervais has finally struck film comedy gold with his latest offering, The Invention Of Lying, after the arguably funny Ghost Town. But we would also be lying if we said that we weren’t thoroughly entertained by the very concept of a world where people say the absolute, cutting-to-the-bone truth because there are some wonderful silly moments in this deadpan feast of Python-esque-styled restaurant humour that will have you tittering away.
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Released 2nd October 2009
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Pandorum means ‘Orbital Dysfunctional Syndrome’ - basically, a delusional state of mind that comes from being cooped up in a claustrophobic situation in space for too long. It is also the title of the American/German sci-fi horror written by Travis Milloy and directed by Christian Alvart, and starring two impressive acting heavyweights, Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster. In theory, all the essential ingredients for a powerful, twisted and terrifying thriller in space are in place, showing man at his most desperate and most deprived. However, although there are a lot of positives to be had, even in Pandorum’s environment of constant fear and heightened tension, not enough paranoia translated across for us to be truly horrified to the core by the experiences of astronauts, Bower (Foster) and Payton (Quaid), who are drifting through space 500 million miles from Earth with no memory of who they are, what they are doing, or what has happened to their ship? The film-makers great admiration for Aliens, The Matrix and other post-apocalyptic epics are clearly evident. In fact Pandorum turns into ‘The Descent in space’, too, when we find out what is hunting the crew. The reasons for this human evolution do pose interesting questions, though, more so than the topic of Pandorum in all honesty.
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Released 25th September 2009
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Walt Disney’s entertaining but unnerving Surrogates is like a ‘Noughties Blade Runner‘, a futuristic possibility that explores the ultimate question: Has technology gone too far? This time, though, the artificial life forms take over because humankind has allowed them to, so that they can live a perfect daily existence for the people who operate them back home. This mainstream film from Terminator 3 director Jonathan Mostow is certain to fuel the kinds of debates that audiences were obsessed with back in 1982 with Ridley Scott’s masterpiece - and still are. In addition to the technology question, Mostow’s highly astute film emphasises the current obsession with ‘the body beautiful’, as well as our relationships becoming more remote and isolated by technology that allows us to create profiles online, even ‘new lives’ like the community-life game, Second Life.
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Without sounding alarmist, although classed as sci-fi, this future-focused nightmare is almost a gentle cinematic warning that is not lost on those who view it, even if the general conclusion is one of helplessness to prevent the technology onslaught taking an unsavoury turn for the worst.
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Released 25th September 2009
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Based on the book of the same name, The Soloist is a beautiful and touching portrayal of a true story about an unlikely friendship. Done with sincerity, this is a magically uplifting film, full of both hope and sadness. Robert Downey Jr. plays award-winning LA Times Journalist Steve Lopez and Jamie Foxx is Nathaniel Ayers, a talented cellist whose undiagnosed schizophrenia drove him away from musical success to the streets. Both actors are truly exceptional and ridiculously underrated!
