Atonement

Starring Keira Knightley and James McAvoy. This adaptation of the Ian McEwan novel is set in the period leading up to World War II and to the events at Dunkirk in 1940. Now maybe I've been watching too many films, but my enjoyment of this exceptionally good
movie was somewhat marred by accents and dialogue reminiscent of 'Brief Encounter' and scenes taken from 'Gone With the Wind'. In the first half an hour I kept on having flashbacks to that tearoom in Milford Junction, because Keira Knightley sounded exactly like Dame Celia Johnson - but James McAvoy is no Trevor Howard! Meanwhile the vision of Dunkirk and the hospital scenes reminded me too much of the photographic settings of Atlanta before the arrival of the Union army.
OK, that said this is an extremely powerful and well written story, with a wonderful cameo performance by Vanessa Redgrave (who is remarkable in every film she appears in - even if momentarily). Brenda Blethyn also puts in a blinder of a performance - albeit brief.
I don't want to give too much of the story away because there are some surprising twists and turns as the film evolves. It begins at a country house and centres on the two daughters of the family - young woman Cecily and child Briony, and their relationship with housekeeper's son Robbie who has been supported through University and intends to become a doctor.
Then one fateful evening Robbie mistakedly sends a letter revealing his true feelings for Cecily using Briony as his intermediary. As the evening unfolds there is a 'rape' and a chain of events are unleashed because of Briony's feelings for Robbie. Four years later Robbie is in Dunkirk and Cecily and Briony are nursing in hospitals in London. Briony has a chance to atone for the wrongs she did.
This is a remarkable story - but is this a remarkable film - I'm not certain, which is why I'm giving this a rating of 8/10.

2 Days in Paris

Starring Julie Delphy and Adam Goldberg. If you like Woody Allen then you'll enjoy this - a similar style. If you don't like Woody Allen - you'll probably still enjoy this tale of American Jack & French born Marion, two years into their relationship and their couple of days to visit Marion's parents and Marion's flat (upstairs from her parents). The other star of this film is a cat - dropped off by the couple on their way through Paris to a short break in Venice, and now being collected on their way back to New York. In fact one of funniest scenes I have ever watched in a movie involves the cat, clutched in Marion's arms as she and her mother have a furious row in French whilst Jack watches, uncomprehendingly. Much of the humour of the film derives from Jack's inability to speak or understand French, and the unwillingness of the French to speak English. During the two days the couple seem to meet all Marion's past lovers (possibly present lovers in Jack's view) and there are several wonderful taxi journeys where the drivers flirt, insult, argue, propagandise and generally philosphise with Marion. Marion gets them thrown out of a restaurant, and a taxi, Jack gets arrested and Jack begins to believe that she is out to bed the entire male population of Paris. Along the road we get quite a wry examination of a relationship, and some quite profound thoughts on what goes on between men and women. At the end of the two days Jack declares 'We've been together for two years but I really don't know you at all'. He's wrong though, and things do end well - sort of. This film is really a joy and highly recommended 8/10

Hairspray

The tale of Tracy Turnblat and dance as a weapon against segregation, set in 1960s America. Also John Travolta in drag reprising the part played by Divine in the original 1988 movie, a film I must have seen a couple of times but really do not recollect. Well, that might be just as well. This is not a political movie, despite the theme. It is a very 'feelgood' film though. It a good old fashioned musical (and provided you accept the ludicrous nature of these films you'll be fine). Every night the teenage population of Baltimore rush home to see the nightly dance based music show on the local television station. Tracy is obsessed with becoming a dancer on the show. Her reclusive overweight mother (played by Travolta) is not convinced that she can achieve her aim - but she does! Once a month there is a 'negro day' programme. Young Tracy can't accept that every night cannot be 'negro night'. Joining the black students at her school she becomes a part of a campaign to 'integrate' the programme and have mixed dancing on the show. Her mother supports her and the film ends with the achievement of integration and a young black dancer becoming 'Miss Hairspray'. My rating? 7/10

The Simpsons Movie

You really have to be a fan of the TV series to want to go to this film - but thankfully I am! This could have easily been several episodes strung together with no real common thread, but this movie is more than that - it does have a plot, and plenty of one liners, but also more developed comedy too.

Homer is the real hero of the film. Springfield is facing environmental meltdown. Lisa tries to rouse the residents and turn them from their anti- social ways - some hope! President Arnie decides to step in and act when Homer's newly acquired pet pig (Spider pig, the comic book hero pig) produces so much waste that a tipping point is reached on the pollution scales. A dome is lowered over the town to protect the rest of America from the appalling effects of their behaviour. But Homer saves the day - I won't explain how. At the same time he forms a new relationship with wife Marge and his three children. Most of the usual characters in the TV series have a part in the movie, and there are enough laughs, and enough of a plot to make this enjoyable for both adults and children. Rating: 7/10

Transformers

Starring the bizarrely named Shia Labeouf (a young male star - made up name I hope) and Megan Fox, and variously people disguised as vehicles that transform themselves into robots/organic life forms. Based on the toys of the same name. It is obviously the summer season because there is a glut of films aimed at a 'younger audience' - not generally highly intellectual films, or terribly thoughtful or thought provoking. There's nothing wrong with a good action movie or thriller, but this probably isn't that good. I think the problem is that it can't make up its' mind whether it is an action movie, a love story, a comedy, a drama or a teen movie. So geeky young Shia has the offer of a car from his father and instead of a Porsche that he desires he goes to a second hand car lot where he is a 'adopted' by a clapped out motor. This vehicle turns out to be an autobot (a car which turns into a robot in disguise - hence transformers). This vehicle is just one of several autobots locked in an eternal battle with the evil decepticons in search of 'the cube' which turns out to be hidden under the Hoover Dam. The cube is (naturally) the source of remarkable powers - for good or evil - that could lead to Decepticons ruling the universe and the elimination of the human race. The story line does hold the attention and there are some good action moments and battle scenes, but this is really only a slightly above average film. Rating: 7/10

Die Hard 4.0

Bruce is back as John MacLean! For a man in his mid to late fifties Mr Willis can still carry off this action movie to great effect!

It is nearly or perhaps more than 20 years since this series began, and I reckon this one is up there with the best. It draws you in so rapidly to the plot to destroy American society through complete destruction of the computer systems - no communication (mobile phones, etc), power (electricity, gas) total gridlock of the roads (traffic lights all turned to green simultaneously) and all so plausible. The suspense is just terrific, the violence all so well staged and somehow cosmetic, and Mr Willis is the real superhero, out to save the world and is daughter now a full grown woman. His sidekick this time (and John MacLean always needs a side kick just to emphasise how much bigger and better and somehow good looking he still is even at his age!) is Mat Farrell a computer geek, with boyish long hair to contrast with Bruce's shave head. The mastermind of this computer scam is also young and tender and good looking - Mr Gabriel (the Archangel perhaps?) I really enjoyed this film, the tension and suspense wonderful, the plotline simple but effective, the explosions dramatic, the villains suitably villainous and the heroes outstandingly heroic, but somehow vulnerable and human. Rating - oh this gets a 9/10 - Yipee-I-ay!

Tell No One

Just a passing comment - but why are most of the good films around at the moment mainly foreign language - or is it just my strange taste in films?

I many ways this French film is a traditional murder mystery but there are so many twists and turns it is raised above the average. How much of the plot can I give away - well the central character is a paediatrician whose wife was murdered eight years previuosly. He was suspected of complicity, and this suspicion is revived when the bodies of two men are discovered close to the scene of her abduction. There are so many twists to this tale - he is under surveillance from both the police and another sinister group, there is one of the most bizarre by exciting chases I've ever seen in the cinema, he gets rescued by the father of one of his patients - a sinister underworld hardman, his father-in-law (and ex policeman) starts behaving very suspiciously, there are murders, an emails that pull the story off in another direction. All together this is a film worth seeing - as a thriller and a well produced one at that. Rating: 8/10

By the way the title means nothings - despite an injunction to 'Tell No One' the hero seems to tell everyone he knows!