MirrorMask

 

MirrorMask 2005

• Director: Dave McKean
• Based on the story by Neil Gaiman
• Cast: Stephanie Leonidas, Jason Berry, Rob Brydon, Gina McKee
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Gina McKee – Line of Duty, Atonement, Notting Hill, Naked
• Why? Neil Gaiman
• Seen: 30 December 2024.      

       Helena (Leonidas) works in her parents’ circus. Unlike most kids who want to run away to the circus, she wants to live a normal life. She and her mum Joanne (McKee) fight about it a lot. Then her mum ends up in the hospital.

       Helena is transported to a very strange dream world where she is given the mission to find the MirrorMask to save the World of Light from destruction by the World of Dark.

       It’s more whimsy and fanciful artwork than story but that’s quite enough to make this a remarkable film. Neil Gaiman is behind it, after all. 

4* of 5

 

 

 

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

 

Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead 2007

• Director: Sidney Lumet
• Seen by this director: Gloria, Running on Empty, Daniel, Dog Day Afternoon, Serpico, 12 Angry Men
• Based on book: no
• Cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Albert Finney, Marisa Tomei, Michael Shannon, Amy Ryan
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Philip Seymour Hoffman – Many
• Ethan Hawke – Many
• Marisa Tomei – Many
• Albert Finney - Many
• Michael Shannon – Amsterdam, Knives Out, The Shape of Water, Man of Steel, Mud, Take Shelter, The Runaways, 8 Mile
• Amy Ryan – Beau Is Afraid, Birdman, The Wire, Dan in Real Life, Gone Baby Gone, I’ll Fly Away
• Why? Good cast
• Seen: 29 December 2024.      

       Big brother Andy (Hoffman) talks little brother Hank (Hawkes) into robbing their parents’ jewellery shop in order to solve their pressing financial problems. He promises it will be OK. Insurance will cover all losses and nobody will get hurt. What could possibly go wrong?

       Everything, obviously. But this is not a comedy like most heist films. It’s hardly even a heist film, more of a character study. The trouble is, the characters are unlikeable and not even very interesting.

       The cast does what it can but especially Marisa Tomei deserves a much better role.

       What a dreary film. 

2* of 5

 

 

Spider-Man Far from Home

 

Spider-Man Far from Home

• Director: Jon Watts
• Based on book: no
• Cast: Tom Holland, Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr, Marisa Tomei, Jon Favreau, Zendaya
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Tom Holland – Wolf Hall, How I Live Now, The Impossible
• Jake Gyllenhaal – Many
• Robert Downey Jr – Many
• Marisa Tomei – Many
• Zendaya – Dune, The Greatest Showman
• Why? Not many left…
• Seen: 28 December 2024.      

       It seems that Iron Man and all the other Avengers have perished (not really, surely?) and young Peter Parker (Holland), i.e. Spider-Man, is now the head and only Avenger. Peter is in love with MJ (Zendaya) and they’re now on their way to Europe for a class trip about science.

       Bad things happen. Enter other super-heroes, Samuel L Jackson and Jake Gyllenhaal.

       Cool.

       This MJ is ever so much better than Dunst. And the film is, as expected, entertaining. 

3½ * of 5

 

 

 

Ruby Jand's Film Blog: Spiderman 2002

Ruby Jand's Film Blog: Spiderman 2

Ruby Jand's Film Blog: Spiderman 3

 

Ruby Jand's Film Blog: The Amazing Spider-Man

Ruby Jand's Film Blog: The Amazing Spider-Man 2

 

Ruby Jand's Film Blog: Spider-Man Homecoming

 

Last Holiday

 

Last Holiday 2006

• Director: Wayne Wang
• Seen by this director: Maid in Manhattan, Anywhere but Here, Smoke
• Based on book: no
• Cast: Queen Latifah, LL Cool J, Timothy Hutton, Giancarlo Esposito, Alicia Witt, Gérard Depardieu
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Queen Latifah – The Secret Life of Bees, Hairspray, Stranger than Fiction, Chicago, Sphere, Jungle Fever
• Timothy Hutton – The Ghost Writer, Mimzy, Secret Window, Beautiful Girls, Iceman, Daniel, Ordinary People
• Giancarlo Esposito – The Maze Runner, Breaking Bad, Rabbit Hole, Sherrybaby, De-railed, Homicide Life on the Street, The Usual Suspects, Mo’ Better Blues, Do the Right Thing, Desperately Seeking Susan
• Gérard Depardieu – too many
• Why? Queen Latifah
• Seen: 25 December 2024    

       Georgia (QL) works in a department store. She’s sweet on Sean (LLCJ), he’s sweet on her but she’s told she has a rare brain tumour and has three weeks to live so she cashes in pension plan and savings and takes off for Europe.

         I like QL but I don’t much like the film. All that offensive luxury and fawning people. And I really don’t like Depardieu.

        Oh, right, the moral of the story, money isn’t everything. What a surprise.

        Sorry, QL, you’re the only reason to watch this. Well, LLCJ is cool, too. Pun intended.

2½ * of 5

That Time of Year

 

That Time of Year 2018

• Director: Paprika Steen
• Based on book: no
• Cast: Paprika Steen, Jacob Lohman, Sophie Gråböl, Karen Lyse-Münster, Lars Brygmann
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Sophie Gråböl – Rose, Fortitude
• Karen Lyse-Münster – Rose
• Lars Brygmann – Reiseholdet
• Why? Danish films are often good
• Seen: 25 December 2024      

       Basically I’m a Scrooge and my favourite Christmas film is Anna and the Apocalypse – seen for the 4^th time yesterday with my young zombie-loving 18-year-old friend NM, who loved it, so I’m a bit sceptical about this. There are probably no zombies in this film. Still, Danish films are often good.

       Dysfunctional family gathers to celebrate Christmas. Enough said. Is it watchable?

       Almost not. I’m so glad I don’t have to spend Christmas like this. It’s torture!

       The film is well done and dramatic but not likely to become a dear favourite Christmas film tradition. I prefer zombies.         

                    

 4* of 5