Forrest Gump (1994)

Title: "Forrest Gump: An Unforgettable Journey through Life"

Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)

Review:

"Forrest Gump" is an extraordinary film that has left an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of audiences since its release. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, this masterpiece is a heartwarming tale that takes us on a captivating journey through the life of its titular character, Forrest Gump, superbly portrayed by Tom Hanks.

The beauty of "Forrest Gump" lies not only in its compelling story but also in its brilliant execution. The film strikes a perfect balance between humor, drama, and poignancy, creating a cinematic experience that is simultaneously entertaining and thought-provoking. Through Forrest's perspective, we witness several pivotal moments in American history, making it a historical and cultural odyssey.

Tom Hanks delivers an exceptional performance as Forrest Gump, a kind-hearted and intellectually challenged man with an unwavering spirit. Hanks effortlessly embodies the character, capturing his innocence, vulnerability, and unwavering optimism. His portrayal is both endearing and emotionally impactful, earning him a well-deserved Academy Award for Best Actor.

The supporting cast also shines brightly. Robin Wright portrays the love of Forrest's life, Jenny, with depth and sensitivity. Gary Sinise delivers a powerful performance as Lieutenant Dan Taylor, a complex character who undergoes a remarkable transformation. Each actor brings depth and authenticity to their roles, enhancing the film's emotional resonance.

What sets "Forrest Gump" apart is its ability to connect with the audience on a profound level. The film explores themes of love, friendship, destiny, and the unpredictability of life, all woven together with a sense of humor and warmth. It inspires us to reflect on our own journey, reminding us that even in the face of adversity, there is always hope and the possibility of triumph.

Visually, the film is a visual treat. The cinematography beautifully captures the various settings, from the sprawling landscapes to the crowded city streets, while the seamless integration of CGI allows Forrest to interact with historical figures and events, adding a touch of magic to the narrative.

Additionally, the film's soundtrack is a treasure trove of iconic songs that perfectly complement each scene. The musical selections, featuring classics from the '50s to the '80s, evoke a strong sense of nostalgia and enhance the emotional impact of the story.

"Forrest Gump" is a timeless masterpiece that continues to resonate with audiences. It is a rare gem that combines exceptional storytelling, superb performances, and profound messages. Whether you're laughing, crying, or reflecting, this film will leave an indelible impression on your heart and remind you of the extraordinary beauty found in the simplest moments of life.

Mulholland Drive (2001)

 Title: Mulholland Drive: A Mind-Bending Cinematic Masterpiece

Introduction:

Mulholland Drive, directed by David Lynch, is a mesmerizing and enigmatic film that defies traditional narrative structures and takes audiences on a journey into the depths of mystery and surrealism. Released in 2001, this neo-noir psychological thriller has captivated viewers with its stunning visuals, haunting atmosphere, and thought-provoking storytelling. In this review, we delve into the brilliance of Mulholland Drive and its lasting impact on the world of cinema.

1. Intriguing and Layered Narrative:

Mulholland Drive tells a complex and intricate story that unfolds like a puzzle. At its core, it revolves around the intertwined lives of aspiring actress Betty Elms (Naomi Watts) and amnesiac Rita (Laura Harring). As the film progresses, the line between dreams and reality blurs, leaving the audience to question what is real and what is an illusion. Lynch's nonlinear storytelling and surreal imagery create an unsettling yet captivating experience that keeps viewers engaged from start to finish.

2. Superb Performances:

The performances in Mulholland Drive are nothing short of exceptional. Naomi Watts delivers a career-defining performance as Betty Elms, showcasing a remarkable range of emotions and vulnerability. Her portrayal of a hopeful and naive actress captivates audiences as she navigates the complex web of dreams and realities. Laura Harring brings a mysterious and mesmerizing presence to the character of Rita, perfectly complementing Watts' performance. The chemistry between the two actresses is palpable, adding depth to their characters' intricate relationship.

3. Visual Poetry and Cinematic Craftsmanship:

David Lynch's directorial prowess shines through in every frame of Mulholland Drive. The film's atmospheric cinematography, masterful use of light and shadow, and hauntingly beautiful set designs create an immersive and dreamlike atmosphere. Lynch's meticulous attention to detail and the way he crafts each shot with purpose and symbolism further enhance the film's enigmatic nature. The result is a visually stunning piece of art that lingers in the viewer's mind long after the credits roll.

4. Sound Design and Score:

The sound design and Angelo Badalamenti's haunting score contribute significantly to the overall atmosphere of Mulholland Drive. From the enigmatic hum of the opening sequence to the eerie ambient sounds that accompany unsettling moments, the film's sonic elements work in harmony with the visuals to create a truly immersive experience. Badalamenti's score, with its blend of melancholic melodies and discordant tones, perfectly captures the film's mood and enhances its emotional impact.

5. Provocative Themes and Interpretations:

Mulholland Drive explores a range of themes, including identity, desire, illusion, and the dark underbelly of Hollywood. Lynch's deliberate ambiguity invites multiple interpretations, making the film a subject of fervent analysis and discussion among cinephiles. Each viewing can unveil new layers and insights, rewarding those willing to delve into its intricate symbolism and hidden meanings.

Conclusion:

Mulholland Drive stands as a testament to David Lynch's artistic vision and storytelling prowess. Its complex narrative, mesmerizing performances, and meticulous craftsmanship make it a masterpiece that continues to intrigue and bewilder audiences. This surreal journey into the enigmatic world of dreams and realities challenges our perceptions and lingers in our consciousness. Mulholland Drive is a cinematic gem that rewards viewers with an unforgettable and thought-provoking experience, solidifying its place as a modern classic in the realm of filmmaking.

The Sitter (2011)

 The Sitter 

Starring- Jonah Hill and Method Man 

Directed by- David Gordon Green

Rating out of 10- 5/10

It was a wet, bleak Friday evening in the North West of England and I needed an easy film to raise my spirits. I picked The Sitter. Did I expect much? No. But I got more than I expected. Is it any good? No, but again I got more than I expected. 

Noah Griffin (Hill) is a college student on suspension and is coaxed by his mum to babysit the kids next door. However he is completely unprepared for what awaits him. 

The main premise is that the push over college kid, constantly in trouble- a disappointment to his parents, but looking after (in the loosest sense of the word) finally comes of age and pulls himself together. This is achieved by looking after the three troubled children from next door and dealing with the capers they go through. 

The film is pretty funny in parts mainly due to Jonah Hill’s confident humour. I thought the teenage boy character, Slater, played by Max Records was a good one. He is unsure of himself and his place in the world and Noah helps him to find it. 

On the downside, the criminals in the film are frankly not believable as crooks and Jonah Hill’s life affirming speeches to the kids don’t really fit with the character and felt shoe horned in. The idea of taking kids out at night when you’re babysitting is frankly delusional. 

Would I recommend this film? It’s a light hearted film that is largely harmless. But this format has been done hundreds of times now. 

Jacob’s Ladder (1990)

 Jacob’s Ladder 

Starring- Tim Robbins, Elizabeth Peña, Macauley Culkin, Jason Alexander and Danny Aiello

Director- Adrian Lyne 

This film, whilst undoubtedly good, is about as comfortable to watch as lying on a bed of rusty nails… then the nails come alive and scratch your face. I watched most of it through my fingers then was almost too scared to visit the bathroom once the film was completed. Yes I feel a bit silly saying that. It’s a must for every film fan, but I wouldn’t watch it with granny. 

Jacob Singer is a man wrestling through life with PTSD following his release from active service in Vietnam. We witness a harrowing scene with human mutilation, blood and bullets flying in all directions. When Jacob returns to the USA we see him struggling to come to terms with his condition, no doubt multiplied by the death of his son (Macauley Culkin) from his first marriage. He begins to see strange things and collapses on more than one occasion. His girlfriend Jezzie (Elizabeth Peña) tries to help but she becomes increasingly freaked out by Jacob’s behaviour. All the while, Jacob is trying in vain to piece back together his shattered life and to get to the bottom of what really happened in Vietnam. 

This would however just be scratching the surface. If we dig deeper we realise that Jacob’s Ladder is about the horror of war- a horror that could last far longer than just when the final bullets are fired. Jacob himself is reeling from his own experience of PTSD and we are given no end point to this. 

For reasons explained in the film’s conclusion, we are led to ask what this film is. Is it a flashback? Could it even be a flash forward from before he joined the Army? Or are we swirling our fingers into the murky depths of a dystopian reality which is impossible to work out. I began to ask questions related to self- who are we? Jacob slips in and out of various dimensions- we believe his reality to be when he’s with Jezzie, but we also see him with his ex wife Sarah and his three sons. Each dimension could be the real reality and the opposite the dream world. He seems to feel physical and mental pain in both dimensions too. 

I’d urge film fans to watch Jacob’s Ladder as there are plenty of points to think about but be warned you may well feel very uncomfortable throughout the film- this is what it wants you to do 

Being John Malkovich (1999)

 Being John Malkovich 

Starring- John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, John Malkovich, Catherine Keener, Charlie Sheen

Directed by - Spike Jonze 

I have been desperate to watch more high quality films lately and my last two viewings (Fargo) couldn’t have delivered more! So glad I chose them. 

John Cusack plays struggling puppeteer Craig Schwartz in this surrealist, fantasy comedy drama- yes it is all of those genres. He is married to the animal loving, gender confused Lotte who is well played by Cameron Diaz. Forced to take on an office job, Craig finds a mysterious portal in his new office that strangely leads to the inside of John Malkovich’s head. 

Lotte and Craig discover that they can enter Malkovich’s head for 15 minutes before they are spat out onto a local highway. Craig and Lotte, loveless in their marriage, decide to use the portal for different ways to achieve the same end- to win the heart of Maxine (Catherine Keener)  a co worker of Craig with whom they are both obsessed. 

Written by Charlie Kaufman, this is definitely a multi layered piece of art. The question is- what is it really about? In the first instant, it is reasonable to state that Being John Malkovich is about control and the lengths people will go to to achieve it. Craig is a puppeteer so naturally his whole life is based upon a large degree of control. He initially tries to gain control of his non existent relationship with Maxine by creating a puppet in her likeness, whilst discarding the one in his wife’s image. We see him trying to control Malkovich himself by inhabiting his body and even gaining control of his speech. 

Linked to the concept of control is the theme of unrequited love. This can become a devastating cocktail when mixed with a desire to control others as we see constantly throughout the film- initially reflected in Craig’s growing madness as Maxine and Lotte’s love begins to develop. We are constantly left questioning as to what lengths Craig is willing to go to in order to attract Maxine. 

Animals also feature highly in this film- Lotte works in a pet shop and seems to bring a lot of them home including a parrot and a chimpanzee. We normally see animals as wild however they provided an excellent contrast to the humans in this film as the animals seemed the more sane than their more frantically behaving human keepers. 

One of the key themes though is the basic human desire to be someone else- this is indeed the tagline of the film. We see Craig and Lotte desperate to inhabit the body of John Malkovich and hence to become someone else- someone more successful and richer. This leads us to ask who is the real puppeteer in the film? Despite the fact that Craig is a puppeteer by trade, the real puppeteer is Maxine as she controls Craig, Lottie and even John Malkovich at various different points in the film. She is the only character who seems happy in her own skin and isn’t desperate to be someone else. 

I absolutely loved this film and will recommend it to others not only for its depth but also for its dark comedy and numerously amusing celebrity cameo roles such as the role played by Charlie Sheen who does a great job of playing himself. 

Twenty Four Hour Party People (2002)

 Twenty Four Hour Party People

Starring - Steve Coogan, Paddy Considine, Lennie James, Andy Serkis, Jon Simm, Ralf Little, Keith Allen, Shirley Henderson

Director- Michael Winterbottom

If there was ever a film that screamed Michael Winterbottom, it is certainly this one. The edgy storyline, strange yet wonderful characters, the encapsulation of a musical heartbeat and I just have to mention the shaky handheld camera effects. 

Before I watched this film, I liked the Manchester or Madchester music scene… afterwards, I loved it. Our story is told by Mr Manchester himself- Tony Wilson, played with aplomb by Steve Coogan- one of the founding fathers of Factory Records- the cornerstone of this luscious piece of art. 

Tony Wilson however states that… ‘I am a minor character in my own story’ slipping into the role of facilitator and narrator throughout. 

Our story begins with real footage of a disastrously sounding gig at the Lesser Free Trade Hall in Manchester with only 30 odd people present in the audience. On stage are none other than The Sex Pistols. The gig sounded awful, but the power and energy produced that night, legend says, spawned the Manchester new wave musical movement with Joy Division leading the way. 

Screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce drags us kicking and screaming from the early days of Factory Records with the aforementioned Joy Division, through the magical Hacienda days to the highs of the Happy Mondays and New Order. 

If I was going to ask you to watch one film… it would be this one. Yes the story is great and the acting is amazing but it’s the way Winterbottom captures Manchester that was truly impressive. Veterans of the real Hacienda said it was exactly like the original and felt like they’d been transported back in time. The soundtrack is like rich nectar being dropped into your ears particularly the Acid House parts of the film. The sheer seemingly stupidity of some of the decisions made by Factory make the mind boggle- 30,000 on a table… and losing money on the highest selling 12 inch single of all time… Blue Monday by New Order. 

But that was just the point- Factory wasn’t about making money- it was a social experiment designed for the kids of Manchester… and Michael Winterbottom captures it perfectly. 

Fargo (1996)

 Fargo (1996)

Starring- William H Macy, Steve Buscemi, Frances McDormand, Peter Stormare and Kristin Rudrud. 

The tagline to Fargo shouts, ‘There won’t be a better movie this year!’ A quote that I fully agree with on many levels despite the fact that 1996 spawned Independence Day, The English Patient, Scream and Jerry Maguire. However, in my humble opinion, Fargo trumps all of these. There is a fantastic storyline heightened with tension as the film progresses, brilliant acting and an amazing set- the bleak, misty, snowy backwaters of Minnesota provide the perfect backdrop for this blood soaked crime thriller. 

Put simply, Jerry Lundegard (Macy) is in way above his head in an unexplained financial problem. As panic sets in, he decides to extort the money he needs from his wealthy father in law, who just also happens to be his boss. Jerry’s inept criminal plan, to hire two crooks to kidnap his own wife and make his father in law cough up to the tune of one million dollars, rapidly begins falls apart due to the bungling of his hired criminals. 

The first thing that struck me about Fargo were the sets and locations. I absolutely love the backwaters of the USA and would love to discover them for myself one day. Naturally then I am instantly drawn to them. In Fargo they take these backwaters and mystify them by filming the vast open bleakness of life in the cold and snow of Minnesota. The murky mist adds to the tension and creates a sense of foreboding throughout the film. 

As far as cinematic performances go, you’d have to dig deep to emulate William H Macy in his finest role. He plays a man sinking into the abyss of financial problems so well you can feel the desperation oozing out of him and being written across his face. To play such a pathetic worm like character so convincingly was a treat to see. Jerry swirls uncontrollably on a lilo of debt, desperately trying to lever money from his wealthy father in law to no avail. Whatever his debt is, I personally felt sorry for Jerry as he had no support from his father in law at all and probably felt the criminal route was the only one open to him. The rage we see in Jerry’s lying eyes is expertly portrayed by Macy. 

The polar opposite to Jerry is Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand) who is a chirpy yet tenacious and diligent police officer whose hard work brings the case to a close. I’d never seen McDormand in anything else prior to Fargo so I am currently trying desperately to seek out her work. 

This was my second viewing of Fargo and it got even better the second time. The characters are multi faceted and multi layered and played brilliantly. I urge you to watch this film- the best film of 1996. Also before I go do check out the brooding psychopath played by Peter Stormare and also Steve Buscemi who plays the second crook- both brilliant in this film. 

Dr No (1962)

Dr No

Starring- Sean Connery, Ursula Andress, Bernard Lee and Joseph Wiseman

Directed by- Terence Young 

I was innocently flicking through the endless channels on an idle Sunday afternoon recently when I happened upon this absolute gem of a movie. It was the perfect tonic to combat the dreary drizzle sliding its way down my front room window. April showers ain’t got nothing on you Sean Connery. 

Dr No needs no introduction. See what I did there? Nevermind. Dr No, although not the first Bond book ever written it is the birth of the Bond franchise (yuk horrible word- what’s wrong with the word ‘series?’) and my favourite version. 

Our hero has been stationed in Jamaica, a beautiful sun blessed location that would set the precedent for future Bond films. James Bond battles against scientific genius Dr No who is hell bent upon kiboshing the US Space program. As the clock begins to tick, 007 meets the ravishing Ursula Andress and the pair confront the evil megalomaniac in his enormous lair. 

Does this plot line sound familiar? You’d be forgiven for assuming every Bond film was at least loosely based on this concept- why break a winning formula?! 

All of the traits of future Bond films are present. The gorgeous girls, the stunning, exotic locations, amazing cars (Dr No sees Connery driving a Sunbeam Alpine) and a cracking musical score- not to mention megalomaniacal villains obsessed with world domination. 

However, that said, there are differences between Dr No and the rest of the 007 series. Let’s begin with how Bond is portrayed. We all know how Bond developed as the series progressed. Not necessarily all the changes were good. I particularly felt sorry for Roger Moore as the character became more of a comic figure as Moore’s wrinkles deepened. No, in Dr No, Sean Connery plays Bond as a gristled, battle hardened if psychotic, killer. Yes- a cold blooded killer. The Dr No version of Bond is the closest we see to the Bond of Ian Fleming’s books than at any other time. It was a trait that not everyone took to initially- the killing of Professor Dent in cold blood caused no less than public outcry back in 1962. This was a different, sheltered world to ours.

The second way in which Dr No is different to the rest of the Bond series is the lack of gadgets. The nearest we get is a mere Geiger counter. Hardly machine guns popping out from the side of a silver Aston Martin but at least it was a start. This again shows how Dr No was closer to the true version of Bond written in the books. 

James Bond was incredibly successful. It offered an escape from people’s dreary British lives as they jumped at the chance of two hours’ worth of escapism. It is debatable as to whether Bond is still acceptable in our post Me Too modern world. I’m not sure that a womanising, murdering psychopath quite fits with our politically correct worldview. Still, it was an enjoyable blast from the past on a dreary, rain soaked Sunday afternoon.