Quick-Fire Reviews

A couple of good friends of mine were poking some banter in my direction regarding the five star reviews I had given the last four entries - The King's Speech, Black Swan, The Fighter and True Grit. The reason for this is that although I would desribe myself somewhat of a cinephile, or even better a movie buff, I do lack in the critique necessary to be able to judge a film on merit alone. The mocking was a result of this lacking critique, and I can hold my hands up in confession that most films that I see at the cinema and rent from lovefilm I really enjoy. I simply love film and my interest spans across all genres, nationalities and styles, and I find it harder to pick out the flaws than I do the merits. However, I pointed out at the time of said banter that 2011 had been an astonishingly brilliant opening for cinema, and that I would unlikely write a load of reviews about films I disliked. What more, as I read so much about a film prior to seeing it I usually enter the cinema with a good idea of plot and knowledge of the lead and supporting cast, hence I am usually confident that I will enjoy at least some aspects of the film I am about to see.
To broaden the repetoire on this blog I thought I would do three one line reviews of films I have seen in the past two months which didn't warrant the coveted five star commendation.

1. Never Let Me Go - 4 stars
Romanek's adaptation of Ishiguro's polite english dystopia did not live up to the hype (that I created in my head) but was beatutifully shot, and credit to the three leads who are majestic and brilliant in their portrayal.

2. Brighton Rock - 3 stars
The book is a favourite of mine so the film had a very hard act to follow, and although the modernisation to sixties mods and rockers was a welcome take on the tale, it was very hard to see past the fact that Sam Riley was poor casting for Pinkie - the handsome 30-year-old couldn't get close to the menace and malice which Pinkie Brown should so effortlessly exude.

3. The Adjustment Bureau - 4 stars
A great sci-fi flick which carries the same easy sense of style and cool as Nolan's Inception, Philip K. Dick's latest adaptation is one of the best films of his works and the stellar leads are supported by a string of cool cats including Terence Stamp, John Slattery and Anthony Mackie.