The Town

Picked this one up unashamedly on the basis that it features Jon Hamm from Mad Men :) have to say, I don't think I'd ever have heard of it otherwise.

Now then, Ben Affleck...has a mixed reputation, shall we say, and the fact that he directs this as well as stars in it may be enough to put some people off. 

The film is set in Charlestown, Boston and the main premise is that Charlestown has a long tradition of Irish-American criminality. Affleck is a bank robber, and the film begins with a heist. So far, so low-budget Heat.

Things that get you interested:

a) The gang take the bank manager hostage and then release her. One of the gang is all for doing her in (witness and so forth) but Affleck instead takes it upon himself to "keep an eye on her"...with predictable romantic developments. The inevitable tension between Sweetheart Affleck and Criminal Affleck is no surprise, but despite this the scenes in question are cleverly handled and leave you wondering exactly how this is going to play out.

b) Pete Postlethwaite in his last-but-one screen role. He's the mastermind of the operations, but as you come to realise the hold he's had over the gang - and their fathers before them - he emerges as a truly sinister figure. Memorable last scene too - the guy could act.

c) Jon Hamm - plays an FBI agent, smartly enough to let you believe that he can always get there first, right to the final scenes.

More a worth-a-watch than a must-see, but not a bad evening's entertainment.

Confetti

I don't remember there being much fuss about this when it came out, but I was intrigued by the cast first off - Robert Webb, Olivia Colman, Jessica Stevenson, Martin Freeman, Stephen Mangan...how terrible could it possibly be?

The plot is simple enough - a wedding magazine sets a competition for the most interesting themed wedding, and the film follows the couples - the naturists, the obsessively competitive tennis pros and the tone-deaf musical fans.

Well worth a watch as long as you don't object to any of the following, in my opinion:

• Robert Webb spending most of his scenes with his gentleman's apparatus on full public display
• Olivia Colman spending almost as many of her scenes with her lady-regions on full public display
• A gay couple
• Lots of stuff about weddings & wedding politics
• Lots of stuff about how weddings and the "wedding industry" are all a bit daft
• Some cheesy romantic bits

It's quite funny - chuckle rather than spit out your tea - and rather sweet in parts. My favourite characters were the gay wedding planners who in many ways had the warmest relationship of all the couples portrayed. It won't change your life or have you wanting to watch it again and again to memorise the funny bits, but it's a pleasant way to spend an evening.

The Lives of Others

This one's in German. Subtitle haters beware.


It's set in the 80s. The main character is Wiesler, an interrogator in the East German Stasi - and a good one. He's clinical, he's efficient, and he sticks to the letter of the rulebook. 


Wiesler is given an assignment of running surveillance on a playwright. Officially the reason is that he may be subversive, but Wiesler can see through this -  the official that wants the surveillance is infatuated with the playwright's actress girlfriend. The more Wiesler listens, the more he finds his assignment challenged by a growing respect for the man he is supposed to be trying to destroy.


This movie is slow paced and very much character-driven, but the unfolding situation becomes at first intriguing and finally compelling. The sense of the quiet power and threat of the regime grows steadily; no violence is ever shown, just the dawning realisation that this is a state where an individual is given no choice other than to do exactly as they are told. The characters are complex - Wiesler is both the big man and the small man, Sieland (the actress) is being corrupted but always retains some integrity, Dreyman (the playwright) is talented and respected and yet his ignorance of the surveillance makes him vulnerable. This gives the film a crucial element of unpredictability - you are never sure whether the goodness in each character will be able to transcend or be destroyed. What struck me is how beautifully weighted the ending is - no emotional scenes, but a kind of quiet justice. 


If you have the patience, I think you'll find this one satisfying.

The Castle

I actually have no idea why Lovefilm sent me this. I know I must have asked for it at some point, but I can't remember...it's interesting getting a movie that you've heard nothing whatsoever about though.


This Australian comedy is all about the Kerrigan family. They live in a house just a short distance from an airport runway, but as far as they're concerned, life couldn't be better. However, when a decision is taken to expand the airport - onto their land - the family have to fight to hang onto their home.


There's a real warmth to this film, and the family's closeness carries it through. The Kerrigans aren't the sharpest tools in the box, but a lot of the humour and sweetness comes from their blissful lack of awareness of this, and their appreciation and pride in what they have. It's not the kind of film where you're desperate to find out what happens next - more a series of amusing conversations. It's got the same quotable quality as a movie like This Is Spinal Tap or Withnail & I, but without the outrageousness or out-and-out silliness of either film (which could make it more appealing or less essential depending on your P.O.V.). For me it wasn't a classic - entertaining, gentle, big-hearted viewing nonetheless.