Chemically Imbalanced – The Proposal BluRay Review

 

The era of the massive Hollywood star may be coming to an end with the news that the latest Tom Cruise movie has flopped.  No longer is the Cruiser a guaranteed success, so why should a studio pay him, or any other star, big money?  Despite former giants like Cruise, Gibson and Willis being unable to put posteriors on seats there is a breed of underdog movie hero that is still bankable.  These are the stars that don’t demand huge blockbuster movies and instead make reasonable money on relatively cheap films.  Adam Sandler has it down to an art as he regularly produces medium budget comedies that gross over $100 million.  The ability to bring a film in at a decent budget means that you can have a couple of failures as long as another couple do well.  Which actress is the leading female star of Hollywood?  Jolie?  Aniston?  I said a few flops, not all flops.  Sandra Bullock is the current Queen of Hollywood and ‘The Proposal’ is great example of why.

Margaret is a high flying book publisher who has little time for anything but eat, sleep and work.  Her suffering assistant, Andrew, just about puts up with her bad attitude as he sees it as a way of getting ahead in the business.  Both of their futures are put in jeopardy when Margaret, a Canadian, fails to apply for a visa and is asked to leave the country.  In a desperate attempt to keep her job she informs her bosses and the authorities that she is to be wed to Andrew, an American citizen.  Unfortunately, this is the first time that Andrew has heard of this and he is forced to go along with the ruse.  Can Margaret and Andrew convince their colleagues, the police and Andrew’s family that they are a real item?

I am a sucker for a half decent romantic comedy and Bullock has had her fair share with the likes of ‘2 Weeks Notice’ and ‘Miss Congeniality’.  As a comedic actress she is very likable and is attractive in a way that seems attainable to most men and believable for women. Add to this, talented comedic timing and a willingness to act the prat and you are on to a winner.  Male star Ryan Reynolds’ back catalogue is a lot patchier as he often comes across as glib and self serving.  His sarcastic charm may work on some people, but it’s just as likely to put people off.  A Rom Com often succeeds or fails on the chemistry of the leads, and in terms of this ‘The Proposal’ is a mixed bag.

The talented Ms Bullock recently won an Oscar and in this film she shows a different side to her acting skills as she falls believably in love.  There is an arc to her feelings as she goes from cold boss to potential lover.  However, as Andrew, Reynolds does little to nothing to make us believe he would fall for Margaret.  This is part down to Reynolds indifferent acting style, but also because the script it so heavily written for the Margaret character, after all this is a Bullock vehicle.  One final area that mutes the chemistry (and may come across a little chauvinistic) is that perhaps there is a slight age gap between the leads that is little unbelievable.  Don’t get me wrong, Bullock is a very attractive women, I just think the character of Andrew is too shallow to fall for the older Margaret. 

With a muted chemistry the film would have to work very hard in terms of comedy to become a classic.  Bullock does some of her best work in the film and is very likable as the harsh on the outside, but soft on the inside, Margaret.  Her various set pieces and pratfalls are worth a few chuckles.  Reynolds plays more of the straight role and is given few laughs leaving the local oddball and the Granma as the only other areas for laughs.  Not really enough to make the film a top comedy.

In terms of structure and direction I’m afraid that director Anne Fletcher makes the film very much in the Rom Com template that has haunted cinemas since Harry met Sally.  The narrative is obvious, although fun to play along with.  Direction wise the film actually suffers a little in the BluRay format as it highlights the use of sets and Green Screen.  For a film based a lot of the time in Alaska there was relatively little use of the landscape that would have looked amazing in HD.  Instead, most of the film could have been shot on a studio set anywhere in the world.

The lack of imagination in direction and script stops a good performance from Bullock making ‘The Proposal’ a must see Rom Com.  However, even with these problems and its lukewarm central relationship the film does remains one of the better examples of the genre in the past few years.  As a comedy actress Bullock has earned our respect and she puts in a good turn here, one that highlights Reynolds’ flat performance (perhaps he has been learning from his wife Scarlett Johansson?)  Despite its numerous flaws the film is still gentle fun and easily good enough for a couple looking for a nice film to settle down and watch together.    

Director:           Anne Fletcher

Year:                2009

Cert:                 12

Starring:            Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds

Price:                Amazon uk       £12.49 (BluRay)

                        Play.com          £16.99 (BluRay)

Extras

As mentioned in the review the BluRay format does little to improve the film and arguably makes some of the poorer special effects stand out.  You can get a copy of the BluRay that also comes with a DVD copy.

In terms of extras there are a fair few with deleted scenes and an alternative ending that does put a slightly different spin on the film.  The bloopers are good value and there is a director’s commentary.

Suspicious Minds – Lives of Others Film Review

 

Ask me what I know about the Stasi and I would have probably replied that he was the bloke who partnered with Hutch in a 70s American Cop show.  My knowledge of what happened behind the ‘Iron Curtain’ was as about as much as the Soviets wanted me to know i.e. nothing.  This wasn’t because I could not access some information, more because I couldn’t be bothered.  However, with age come more than just a few grey hairs and an increasing awareness of your own mortality.  The thirst for knowledge becomes more than just a reason to pass an exam, but is actually pleasurable.  Therefore, when German film ‘Lives of Others’ arrived at my house I did not flee the unknown, but embraced it.

Mid 80s East Berlin is under the control of various powers sympathetic to the Soviet Union.  Under this regime of repression it is best to get on with the powers that be as those that fight it have a tendency to go missing.  The Stasi are the secret police that keep an eye on suspected dissidents and Hauptmann Gerd Wiesler is one such officer.  His beliefs in the ideals of Communism are so acute that he lives a life obsessed with his job.  Georg Dreyman serves the regime in a different way by producing plays that comply with the Communist ideals, but are still slightly too liberal for some. When Dreyman dates someone that the Stasi disapprove of they send Wiesler to spy on Dreyman and his artistic friends.  Will a glimpse into this new lifestyle instil further his Communist ideals, or will he change?

To be fair my opening paragraph is a little misleading as I actually studied the collapse of the Soviet Union as my dissertation so know a little about the Stasi.  However, if you asked me in person I would probably still try the awful Stasi and Hutch joke, or the equally poor Gavin and Stasi.  In terms of films I have not seen that many set in Berlin, last being the fun ‘Goodbye Lenin’, that was surprisingly short of interrogation.  However, after seeing ‘Lives’ you can tell in just under two hours that life in Berlin was; repressive and frightening.

It is the performances in the film that really make it stand out, with star Ulrich Muhe imbuing what it was to be a true believer in the Communist ideal.  Muhe was not able to see all of the success the film brought as he died soon after.  This only adds to the pathos of the role.  The slow change of Wiesler from devotee to cynic is subtly played out over the entire run of the film.  He is torn between what he believes and the fact that others around him may only be using Communism as a way of gaining power.  There are no moments of Oscar baiting here, but a quiet man slowly going through a breakdown.

Muhe’s portrayal of Wiesler is so dominates the film that the rest of the cast pale in comparison.  Sebastian Koch as the artistic Dreyman is reasonable if a little bland, but it is the other less savoury members of the Stasi who take some of the limelight.  Wiesler and his colleagues contrast brilliantly with the repressed bohemia of the drama set.  They live in two separate worlds, but only one of them holds the power.  The underlying tension between the secret police and the normal citizen is what really makes the film.  Small moments were the police warn a passerby or a neighbour slams a door in fear, highlights some of the terror that people must have existed in on a daily basis.

Although not a true story you can tell that writer/director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck did his research on the period.  Everything seems very real and all the situations the characters find themselves feel like they could have happened.  von Donnersmarck keeps the pace of the film down to allow the performances to breath, but never makes it boring as being captured is always a possibility for any character working on the wrong side of the law.  The central performance of Muhe is enough to make the film a must watch, but it is enhanced by a story that is both compelling an eerily realistic.  If you are not put off by subtitles then this is a film that is a must see.   

Director:           Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck                             

Year:                2006

Cert:                 15

Starring:            Ulrich Muhe and Sebastian Koch

Price:                Amazon uk       £3.99

                        Play.com          £3.99

Extras

The version I saw had subtitles and little else in terms of extras.

Science: The Final Frontier – Flashforward Book Review

 

Physics and the concepts of time travel are not the sexiest thing to discuss, but I enjoy it none the less.  I have become immune to the glazed expressions that people give me when I talk about Schrodinger’s Cat.  Time Travel as a science is pretty much pure hokum (imo), but is makes for a very compelling concept for film and literature.  Some of my favourite films and books have had time travelling elements from Well’s ‘The Time Machine’, to Gilliam’s ‘Twelve Monkeys’.  Discussing the concepts of parallel universes and time travel may not be sexy, but the actual stories about them can be.  However, can you have the best of both worlds?  A book that looks at the science of time, but also has an interesting narrative?

The year is 2009 (futuristic!) and the Large Hadron Collider at CERN has just been triggered by Dr Lloyd Simcoe.  At the moment that the Higgs particle should have been created everyone in the world blacks out for two minutes.  During these two minutes most people see a time in the future through their own eyes.  Some people see themselves with a new partner, others failing to live their dreams.  Some unfortunates see nothing; does this mean they are dead?  It appears that Lloyd’s colleague Dr Theo Procopides is going to die as people tell of reading his obituary.  Can Theo discover who is killer is before he is killed, and will Lloyd ever get other the guilt of creating a global disaster?

When ‘Flashforward’ was heavily advertised as the new ‘Lost’ on FIVE I felt I should give it a try as I am a fan of science fiction.  However, one hour later I had enough.  The hackneyed acting was not helped by a series of concepts that were too unbelievable even in science fiction.  The book was written in 1999 so I felt safe that it would be different enough from the series to be readable. In terms of intelligence and debate it is better, but there are several similar traps to the TV show that it falls into.

Both the book and TV are loosely based on the same idea that everyone sees their life in the future for a short time.  This immediately affects the whole world.  However, by seeing one’s future you can immediately change it – in 2030 you were in Barcelona, never visit and the future is changed.  Want to be really sure?  Kill yourself, or someone who was in your vision.  The fact is that you cannot see your future, only a possible future.  This in turn undermines a lot of the book as lead character Lloyd sticks to being worried about 2030, when in fact he has the free will to change anything he wishes.

In fairness, Robert J Sawyer does tackle the different ideas about time travel as the main cast are all scientists.  The book is at its best when several of them are together and arguing over the concepts of parallel universes, free will, or universal balance.  If this all sounds a little dry and boring, then perhaps the book is not suited for you as I felt these moments were the standout parts of the book and lifted it from being an abject failure  into something worthwhile.  I did enjoy Sawyer’s attempts at creating a working future, but some oddities sneaked in that perhaps say more about him as a person than develop the story; abolishment of the Royal Family, all Newspapers dropping Astrology as lies.  Little asides in the book left me feeling a little uncomfortable as Sawyer perhaps revealed a couple of inner demons.

The book is on the cusp of failure because the central narrative is incredibly weak.  The story of Lloyd is pretty much a none starter as it resolves itself almost before it begins.  This leaves Theo’s chase to discover his killer.  This is pure hokum and below standard crime fiction as Theo uses chatrooms to try and solve his murder, not the most interesting thing to read about.  Other characters are drastically underdeveloped with one woman losing her only child, just to be over it a few hours later.  Lloyd is hugely dull and Theo is unlikable, this means that as a reader you are left cold and the story feels sterile. 

‘Flashforward’ is best seen as a high concept book that gives you an idea to chew upon, but fails to do so itself.  As a book that discusses time travel in an assessable manner, Sawyer succeeds in covering many complex physics problems in a way the layperson can understand.  However, as interesting as these moments are they can only make the book an average read as many other aspects border on the calamitous.  Under developed characters and poor storylines lead to a book that opens huge, but soon dies away.  Sawyer has failed to provide both thrills and science, so this book will never be one of the great time travel novels.  This is best read by fans of science fiction who enjoy their concepts more than their stories.

Author:                                Robert J Sawyer

Year:                      1999

Price:                    amazon uk – £4.49

                                play.com – £4.99

It Ain’t Heavy, It’s Fantastic – Heavy Rain PS3 Review

 

Computers games as art, games as film, games as education.  It appears at times that developers try and sell their games as anything but what they are – a game.  Computer games are meant to be a form of entertainment that is unique to the format, interactive, yet able to tell a narrative.  We should spend less time trying to makes game something they are not and instead make them the best possible in terms of being a game.  Every couple of years a new product comes out that takes a step forwards; be it in online access, co-operative gameplay or any of the other areas of gaming.  For years games have fought to create compelling narratives that impress as much as the best Hollywood films.  The first ‘Bioshock’ came close to this, but ‘Heavy Rain’ cracked it.

Gameplay

Opening a review of ‘Heavy Rain’ with a look at the gameplay is going to highlight the one area that will prove most controversial for traditional gamers.  In many ways ‘Heavy’ is an interactive film that you play a pseudo passive role in.  You play as a series of different characters whose lives have all been affected by the actions of the Origami Killer – a psychopath who has been kidnapping young boys and allowing them to drown over a series of days.  You play as a father whose son is missing, a PI who is investigating the case on behalf of some of the parents, a FBI agent who is involved in the official investigation and a reporter.  Over these four separate narratives the game weaves the stories in and out of one another whilst maintaining the central mystery of the Origami Killer.

The game itself has a mostly relaxed feel and is probably best described as a new generation point and click adventure.  You walk around fully realised 3D environments and interact with objects and people by either pressing a highlighted button of moving the joystick.  At first it feels strange, but a slow tutorial allows you to get the feel for the controls and they become second nature as they mimic the actions on screen e.g. pull down on the joystick to pull open a door.

At first the gameplay may feel too sedate, but ‘Heavy Rain’ has more than its fair share of surprises and fast action set pieces.  During these you must press buttons like your life depended on it, because it does.  If one or more of the characters dies the game carries on without them and their narrative input is over – brilliant.  Knowing that you cannot respawn adds to the tension and makes the gameplay frantic at times.  Once you get used to it the simple controls make perfect sense, although some people may struggle with them.  I urge people to overlook the slightly less than perfect gameplay as other areas by far make up for it.  (4 out of 5)  

Characters/Story

Wow.

I could just write that and give character and story 5 out of 5.  In terms of narration ‘Heavy Rain’ is head, shoulder and most of a torso above the rest of the gaming world.  Creator David Cage tried to create a split narrative crime thriller a few years ago with ‘Fahrenheit’ (Indigo Prophecy in America), but it was a glorious failure.  With the power of the Playstation 3 he has achieved his goal with ‘Heavy’.

As mentioned the game continues no matter what you do branching off on different paths depending on your actions.  A good example is a scene in which an unstable man holds a gun to your characters face.  Do you try and calm him down, or take him out?  How will this affect the mental state of your hero?  Will he fall into the clutches of drug use as the impact of what he has done crushes him, or will he man up?  There are so many different threads in the game that you will want to go back and retry chapters to see what else could happen.

Separate from all the variables in the game is a central murder mystery that everyone will solve no matter what they do in the game.  This is a fantastic noir plot that has such a great ending that my jaw dropped.  The story proved so compelling that my non-game playing partner sat down and watched me play the entire game like a brilliant movie.  (5 out of 5)

Longevity

Playing through the game once is likely to set you back 6-8 hours, but this will not include when you want to return to the game and play the sections differently.  I cannot imagine that many people who will not return and at least play a few of the more compelling set pieces in a different manner.  Saying that, the game is probably a healthy 10 hours and could have perhaps have done with an additional mode or to extend the lifespan.  Just remember that those 10 hours are amongst the best gaming moments of your life  (4 out of 5)

Graphics

When ‘Heavy Rain’ was first previewed some years back at the massive E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) in LA the image of a lifelike woman crying was one of the moments of the year in terms of gaming.  Quantic Dreams were looking to set the benchmark for graphics.  The fact that the game was to be PS3 exclusive would mean that Quantic Dreams could build it to the potential of the console.  I play my 360 most, but I have to admit that graphically the PS3 is the stronger machine and ‘Heavy Rain’ is its new king.

The game is set in present day America, but an America clouded in a constant stream of drizzle and darkness.  The noir look of the world is both mundane and compelling.  Quantic Dreams have captured an almost real life existence and placed it in a game.  There are moments of uncanny valley, were things look slightly off, but for the main part the graphics are simply stunning.

Level Design

‘Heavy’ is less of a game of levels and more about the narrative itself.  However, the whole is split up into a series of vignettes that I suppose could be seen as levels, but are more akin to scenes in a feature film.  What to say about them?  They are fantastic and vary in style and feel.  One minute you are infiltrating a night club, the next you are fighting for your life.  The fact that the game is split into four separate characters means that the levels vary wonderfully and the styles are mixed up constantly.  There are several stand out moments in the game that push the concept of what a ‘level’ is. (5 out of 5)

Sound

In terms of music and sound effects the lavish budget that Quantic Dreams spent on the game is for all to hear.  So much of the atmosphere and heart wrenching emotion is played through the ambient soundtrack and melancholy chords.  To add to the atmosphere is some of the best pitter patter rain sound effects ever heard in a game.  Perhaps the one area that is a little disappointing is the voice acting.  Some of the characters are voiced brilliantly, whilst a couple are a little flat or have accents that make them slightly difficult to understand.  (4 out of 5)

Summary

With the Winter 2010 big hitters still to come I would normally shy away from making predictions, but I have to say that unless something almighty happens ‘Heavy Rain’ is the game of the year 2010.  Just weeks before ‘Heavy’ I played the sublime ‘Mass Effect 2’, but even that game pales in comparison.  ‘Heavy’ has become one of my top 5 games of all time (and that’s over 25 years of gaming since ‘Horace Goes Skiing’ to today).  The storyline is so gripping and the ambience so compelling that it is unlike any game made before it.  I urge any owner of a PS3 to buy this game and those who do not to get a PS3 and the game (with Uncharted 2 as well of course). 

‘Heavy Rain’ is simply gaming genius.

Sammy Recommendation 

(5 out of 5)

Maker: Quantic Dreams RRP £50
Amazon uk £37.99
Play.com £39.99

Death be Downed – Death on the Downs Book Review

 

I read a lot of crime fiction and my friends sometimes ask me if they are all the same.  I reply that within the broad genre of ‘crime’ there are many different nuances.  Which crime book you want to read is probably based on if you prefer:  “The killer stalked his prey whilst they were unaware.  With a flash of steel a crimson arc flew from the victim, their life essence abandoned in a violent second.” Or “Gertrude McTwist wondered whether the Eccles Cake she was partaking of was perhaps the same recipe that had lead to the death of Colonel Smithe.”  Violent crime fiction is perhaps the popular style of the day, but the likes of Agatha Christie proved that you could also produce a compelling murder mystery without resorting to the grisly stuff.  Simon Brett is an exponent of the gentler style of novel, but with a slight edge.  Could he get the balance right in ‘Death on the Downs’.

Recently divorced and retired, Carole expected a quieter life in the village of Fethering.  She meets her new neighbour Jude they get along well, although they are very different, and she thinks life could just be right.  After her dog hurts his paw Carole decides to go for a walk alone on the Downs, were the dog usually plays up.  Unfortunately, her hike is cut short when the skies open and she is forced into the cover of an abandoned building.  Here she stumbles across a pile of old bones that will pique her investigative interest, but also send the local village into rumour mill overload.  Can Carole and Jude investigate the skeleton without annoying the locals or the police?

I have no problem with the gentler spectrum of crime writing and on occasion it is nice to read something that tackles dark issues with a deft touch.  In Carole and Jude, Simon Brett has created a pair of characters that feel like a pair of old slippers, although this is the first in the series that I have read.  Most of the book follows Carole and although she is the more stuck up of the pair I actually found her more interesting. You get the impression that she is an intelligent woman who has spent too many years in the shadow of her husband.  Her investigations allow her to test herself and get to know people.  Jude is more free spirited, but in turn secretive, for this reason I didn’t feel like I got to know her well at all.

The book itself does not attempt to be anything other than a good mystery murder set in Little Britain.  Like with so many books that have amateurs as their protagonist, many elements just don’t work.  Carole and Jude have basically the weapons of tea and gossip to aid their investigations.  In real life they wouldn’t be privy to any information, but in ‘Downs’ Brett is forced to have people confess things to them on a regular basis.  At times this feels natural as a suspect unknowingly lets something slip.  At other times it’s a little clunky e.g. I cannot imagine a police officer ever being so candid as seen in this book.

Despite being a light hearted book, it does take a dark twist towards the end that is perhaps a little out of character.  This tonal shift means that the book may frighten off fans of ‘Agatha Raisin’, but it was never dark enough for fans of the more hard boiled crime fiction.  Brett is trying to create a series that sits in between the two camps and never manages to pull it off in this particular title.  The characters, setting and murder mystery itself all seem trapped in a world of niceties, only to plunge into darkness on occasion.  I never got the sense that any one in the book really knew one another and this is certainly the case with the main characters of Carole and Jude.  They are an odd couple, but at times I felt they were almost incompatible.  I imagine that future books in the series will flesh out their relationship and this should give the entire series a better balance.

‘Death in the Downs’ is a decent read that should entertain the more traditional crime fiction lovers out there.   I praise Brett for trying to bring a little shade into the sunny world of small village Britain, but it doesn’t quite work.  The mystery itself is a good one, but the way in which it gets solved all seemed a little far fetched to me.  Cake is nice, but offering it to countless people is not likely to uncover a homicidal maniac. 

Author:                                Simon Brett

Year:                      2001

Price:                     amazon uk – £4.49

                                play.com – £5.49