Blunt Reviews Presents: Life of Pi (2012)

I was concerned that this film was going to be the typical Oscar-bait piece that critics would love and the public would find boring, but I was pleasantly surprised. I’d be lying if I said I loved it, however it ticked enough boxes to keep me happy. I admire Ang Lee because he took a rather complex novel that was deemed unfilmable by many and managed to make a genuinely impressive film. On a technical level alone this film is outstanding, and thankfully it has enough character to pull it forwards and doesn’t rely on visuals for entertainment value.

Blunt Reviews Presents: Shame (2012)

Steve McQueen directs and co-writes this emotional look into sexuality, love and modern life. Michael Fassbender is fantastic in the central role, with Carey Mulligan proving evermore that she is an acting force to be reckoned with. It’s a harsh and gritty film about a a character struggling with age, and the subsequent destruction of the body and soul caused by his actions. It is one of the most perfect films I have ever seen; Steve McQueen is undoubtedly one of the finest artists of our time and this is just one of his masterpieces.

Blunt Reviews Presents: Killing The Softly (2012)

What I like most about this film is that it works well as a comparative piece. Director and writer Andrew Dominik made The Assassination of Jesse James a couple of years before, showing that he can master a three hour long epic. And then he made this, which showed he is capable of making a concise piece of cinema that has a lot of substance and character packed in and sealed tightly. It’s nowhere near as good as Jesse James but I think it works in its own way and it holds together as a solid film with many merits.

Blunt Reviews Presents: Looper (2012)

I’m a geek, so I admit I am somewhat predisposed to love science fiction films, especially ones that feature time travel. And yet Looper left me with with a feeling far from satisfaction. It was so awful I suddenly felt inclined to send the idiotic writers a series of letters consisting of completely incomprehensible gibberish and await a response. So when they eventually reply with an inquiry regarding the purpose and meaning of the letters, I would retort: “I’m sorry, is it annoying when someone wastes your time with incoherent writing that lacks structure, consistency and purpose?”

Blunt Reviews Presents: Prometheus (2012)

I think what was most disappointing about this film was that it tried so hard to do what other Ridley Scott films have done better. The creepy horror was mastered by Alien and then Blade Runner pretty much covered the themes of trying to find your maker and what it means to be human. So all that’s left for this film I suppose is a little bit of backstory to Alien for anyone who was curious. I don’t think it’s as bad as people said it was because there is something there, we just needed more than it gave us.

Blunt Reviews Presents: The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

The third installment to director and writer Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, which is a strong addition to the already near perfect film series. Nolan is a genius of cinema and so it’s still admirable to see someone making intelligent and artistic blockbusters for mass audiences. The scale is larger than before, with a more brutal villain than we have previously seen, but the cast still performs excellently under Nolan’s ever impressive directing. What I love about this film is there is a lot of focus on character and screenplay, with technical mastery thrown in for good measure. Pure genius.

Blunt Reviews Presents: Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

It will come as a shock to many but I really liked this film. I read the book and found it to be painfully boring and self indulgent, but the film is superb. David O. Russell deserves credit for adapting an awful book into a fantastic screenplay that is both funny and uplifting, with poignance in the right places. The cast is outstanding, with the show stolen by Jennifer Lawrence in her best role to date, but with O. Russell as director this is what we should expect. It’s a guilty pleasure, but an uplifting one.

Blunt Reviews Presents: Cosmopolis (2012)

This is a prime example of an admirable misfire. I absolutely love the director, David Cronenberg, but I don’t feel as though this is one of his best films. I have no qualms with the concept, it’s just the delivery is a little too nice. Cronenberg is a director who creates films that are challenging, that require the audience to think and engage actively; Cosmopolis is too easy going. The edges of Cronenberg’s films are usually jagged and they make you feel uncomfortable. This is smoother and feels too weak, so for me doesn’t amount to an awful lot.

Blunt Reviews Presents: Sinister (2012)

Sinister is not a suitable title for this film. I’d say graphic is more appropriate. Or uncomfortable. It’s not particularly scary or important, it’s just some scenes of intense violence are not pleasant to witness. If it’s a good horror film you are looking for then I am afraid you have come to the wrong place. What you’ll find here is a splattering of modern horror cliches, complete with frustrating characters and a flimsy narrative. It relies on jump scares and graphic violence to produce tension but unfortunately it fails. Cheap tricks and bad writing are the true horror here.

Blunt Reviews Presents: 21 Jump Street (2012)

 

I like the film, I think it is half funny, but it is largely overrated. I’ve grown to dislike it more because of how much people talk about it and quote it. On a comedic level the film is shaky but it works, I just can’t say there is really much to make it stand out amongst so many bad modern comedies. I really like Jonah Hill but I’m afraid I can’t stand Channing Tatum, however together the bromance is bearable.

The anger Ice Cube shows on screen towards the duo must have been real.