Never Let Me Go (2010) - no more smiling today

directed by Mark Romanek / starring Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield, Keira Knightley

Ruth, Tommy and Kathy grown up in an idyllic boarding school in the English country side. They are not normal children, however, and this they learn from a teacher, who simply feels too sorry for them to keep them in the sweet ignorance. And thus they are forced to adjust to the truth, and try and live the rest of their lives as well as they can.

Never Let Me Go is not a very cheerful movie. Actually, it's quite depressing. It never really rubs it in your face, but in fact it's quite cruel and ruthless and hopeless. All of that is almost hidden under the beautiful music, young love, the lingering shots of the English country side, the gentle voices of the actors and the subtle ways of handling all that cruelness and hopelessness. But yeah, I know I won't be smiling for the rest of the day. It's just so unfairly sad to watch young, beautiful people turn into wrecks as their lives are thrown to waste beyond their own control.

 The reason I first got interested in this film was its splendid cast; the cream of Britain's young talent is at work. Mulligan is inevitably on her way to winning at least a lap-full of Oscars, Garfield is only the most disarmingly adorable thing ever, who manages to melt anyone's heart with that humanity and innocence he conveys through his every role, and even though not everyone likes Keira, I do, and I thought she did really well, too.

There have been numerous films surrounding this topic, but never before has it been looked at from such an emotional and humane point of view. It's always just so sci-fi. In Never Let Me Go all that has been stripped down to the minimum, which allows us to see the real tragedy behind the sci-fi. I also think it was very clever to set the film in the past, instead of future, as usually. It doesn't feel so alien and far-fetched, but actually very real and relatable.

What the heck, I'm not rambling. Or writing unrelated, stupid things just because they pop into my head. That's all I have to say, really. Weird! I bet it's because I cut 25 centimetres off of my hair today. I feel like Samson, when that bitch Delilah cut his hair and he lost all of his powers.

"None of you will go to America. None of you will work in supermarkets. None of you will do anything, except live the life that has already been set out for you."

Excuse my drooling but...

... not to drool is suddenly quite impossible. Isn't it a bit funny how July 2012 just began to feel far too distant? So far I've only been happy that Andrew Garfield got a role that will bring him visibility and hopefully more and bigger roles, but I had never considered the fact that his tall, slim body will look absolutely amazing in that costume. Add the scar on the cheek and the ominous look in the eyes, and ta-dah! I think Anakin Skywalker just got a rival in running for the best scar-faced, ominous-eyed, droolable person.

Plus the new costume looks cool and I love that he's carrying a backpack. Just on his way to a maths class, I think.

The photo is from here.

Globes 2011 nominees

The nominees for the 2011 Golden Globes just came in! Do check them here. Both Inception and The Social Network got multiple nominations, expectedly and deservigly. I still have a lot of films to see from the list, but I can say I want Andrew Garfield to get that award! And the golden dude, too, later on. No matter how awesome the other nominees might be...

P.S. I've been babysitting my nephew today, and we've watched Cars three times. And now I just put it on for the fourth time. I didn't want to, but he started to threathen the life of my Lost box set, so I gave in. That sneaky little boy.

The Social Network (2010) - Eeva likes this

 directed by David Fincher / starring Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, Rooney Mara

... And she likes it a lot! When I first heard that there would be a 'Facebook movie', I was like 'oh MAN'. When I heard it was going to be directed by David Fincher, I was like 'okay, man'. Then I saw the trailer and I was like 'YEAH, man!', and now I'm running out of man-related ways of expressing my expectations. Anyway. I liked it and I liked it a lot.

In the fall of 2003 Mark Zuckerberg is dumbed by his girlfriend. So, he sits down in front of his computer in his dorm room at Harvard university, and does what every self-respecting gentleman does after a break-up - creates a site where you can rank the girls of the campus according to the level of their hotness. Of this fierce, drunken session of programming, begins Mark's accidental journey that leads him to becoming the world's youngest billionaire. Oh, and facing a teeny weeny law suit, filed by his (ex-)best friend. And that's The Social Network for you!

What do 500 million people do about two hundred times a day? Well, a lot of things, but certain 500 million people go to a certain website called Facebook and see what their 673 friends have been up to lately - like what did they have for dinner or did their pet hamster have a birthday or whether they're planning to take a shower before or after Grey's Anatomy - and in return, they do those 673 people a favour and describe their own plans of the day in great detail. And yeah, I'm one of those 500 million people, and even though I don't have 673 friends (only 165 - I've lost one again, I just noticed), I'm still an active user and not all my status updates are hugely informative and necessary so I just stop mocking now.

Facebook is obviously a huge phenomenon. It's become such a natural part of our world, that you just assume that every person you meet is on Facebook and it's easy to forget that there are still people who don't like telling their real name or posting pictures of themselves online. Remember that time when you didn't dare tell your first name on an internet forum? Because I hardly do, but that was just a few years ago, really. The film really got me thinking, among various other things, about when you put something in the internet, there's a good change you never get it out again. "The internet's not written in pencil, Mark. It's written in ink." Indeed. I immidiately started thinking if there's something in my blog that my future employers, or future ex-best friends who want to sue me, could use against me. This is serious stuff. Just think about the chicken.

Back to the movie, now. I could babble about FB a lot more, it's just a fascinating and funny phenomenon, it somehow tells a lot about the world we live in, the need of popularity, selling of the self-image and satisfying the need for social contacts with a touch of a finger (because sometimes "Liking" something is all the nurturing your relationships need...). Anyway, I want to babble about the movie too. Because it was gooood!

A story about creating a web page paralleled by a story of a law suit doesn't sound like a movie many people would like to see. Throw a former boy band member to the mix and you've got the perfect ingridients for a guaranteed flop! Or you can give the project to David Fincher and let him make it a real gem. I'm not sure how he didn't, but I enjoyed every minute of the origin story of a web page, I even got a kick out of all that geek talk I didn't understand a word of. And I enjoyed the popstar, too. Hats up for David Fincher. Seriously. One heck of a superman, he is. (I first wrote 'hell', but then thought my future employers might disapprove that. Please hire me, I'm really not as bad as I sound.)

Jesse Eisenberg is AMAZING. He pretty much has only that one expression on his face throughout the whole film, but that's all we need because he damn rocks that expression! I loved those bone-dry, sarcastic, harsh comments he kept throwing around. His character is a socially handicapped a-hole, really, but Eisenberg plays it so damn well that he never annoys you - too much. Please someone give this guy some awards. Also, Justin Timberlake was surprisingly good! I mean, not that surprisingly, since Fincher hired him in the first place, and sure I'd heard a lot about him beforehand, but anyway. I didn't have to Cry Me A River, because he pretty much Rocked Your Body.

However, it wasn't Mr Popstar, who Brought Sexy Back (yeah, yeah, that was the last one, I promise. I don't know any other songs, anyway). I keep falling more and more in love with Andrew Garfield! That guy is just so freaking adorable and so freaking talented it almost hurts! Plus he's so freaking likable I bet I'd like him even if he played Hitler. (... "I'm really hoping it's 'Cats that look like Hitler', because I can never get enough of that." Hahahaha. Oh god.) I don't need to beg anyone give this guy awards, because they'll be pumping them out for him long after he asks them to stop. Cuz he's just that good, y'all.

The Social Network is unexpectedly dramatic, fascinating, compelling, intelligent, profound, looking past the programming and web sites and status updates, and telling something rather timeless about friendship, success, power and loyalty. I also want to compliment the music and the editing and the dynamics of the film. All that over-lapping dialogue was just genious.

Last but not least, the humour of the film was awesome. Unexpectedly so. (The film was unexpected in many ways...) Mark's sarcasm went down with me so well, and the twins, the 'Winkelvi'... "I'm six-five, 220 pounds, and there are two of me." They were played by one single guy, by the way! (I just looked the actor up and the he's name is Armie Hammer. I've decided not to use smileys on my blog posts because there'd be no end once I'd get started, but I have to make an exception. Armie Hammer? :D:D:D:D Seriously? :D:D Oh, I don't know, maybe it's funny only because it's way past midnight and my head's a bit sore. Anyway, he could play Prince William. Same jaw.)

The Social Network was so enjoyable I don't want to flatten my post-cinema experience by pondering about truthfulness of the story or trying to find something to criticize. Though it'd be interesting to know how the real Mark Zuckerman would react on the story of his own life (not going to happen, I guess, I remember reading he's not planning on seeing it - I understand why) and sure, it wasn't a perfect movie. But let's not go there, today. The Social Network will quite certainly be on my top 5 of 2010. It's been a very good year, and I'm already looking forward to the Oscars, so I can once again watch and curse while they award movies I don't like or haven't seen. But let's not go there, either, not yet.

Finally, two trivial facts. 1) While writing this post I've been checking my FB profile every five minutes or so. 2) When we left the cinema today and said goodbye, my last words to my friend were: "I'll talk to you later... on Facebook." Funny world...

"A guy who makes a nice chair doesn't owe money to everyone who has ever built a chair."

And the radioactive spider bite goes to...

... Andrew Garfield! It's official. Andrew will play the new Spider-Man/Peter Parker.

A few days ago I made a cons & pros list of each Spidey candidate. Andrew's only cons were that he should use his talent to maybe do something a bit more, er, you know, dramatic, or whatever, and that because I associate him with Boy A, I might start crying during a Spidey film. BUT he was in my Top 3 so I'm very pleased.

I'm sure he'll make a wonderfully sweet and sympathetic Peter Parker and a surprisingly authentic Spider-Man. And it's about time the world gets to know him better. He sure has some serious talent. So the film better be good. You don't get to ruin his career.

So... Who will be the next Kirsten Dunst aka Mary Jane? I'm not really the one to speculate. But these are exciting time were living! I hope they get the film done quickly, these news kind of fed my interest towards this project...

(LEFT: Born to be a superhero? He sure knows how to handle a damsel in distress.)

Spider-Man, Spider-Man, who should play the Spider-Man...?

I have always enjoyed the Spider-Man movies. They are good entertainment with witty(-ish) humour. I even kind of liked the third one. Kind of. They are now rebooting the franchise, so it's bye bye Sam Raimi, Tobey Maguire and co. I think this is a good decision, the movies and characters were getting a little... tired. And since they want to keep doing movies about Spider-Man, better bring some fresh blood in and hope the audience is still interested in Spidey's adventures. (Though they might be having a hard time making it interesting enough and different from the previous origin story... which was made less than ten years ago...)

Apparently, Marc Webb is directing (with a surname like that, does he have an option?) and the battle over the role of Peter Parker has narrowed down to a handful of young, brisk gentlemen. This is me listing the candidates' pros and cons and telling them who they should cast because I know best giving my humble opinion about who I would give the part to.

Aaron Johnson

+ He's hot, alright.

+ He showed us in Kick-Ass he can both kick ass and get his ass kicked.

+ He also proved that he can look very nerdy and fake-unattractive if he wants to.

+ But he can also start blossoming, so to speak, when it's time to go all action hero and look good.

- He'd be kind of the obvious choice, wouldn't he?

- He's already Kick-Ass. Does he have to get to be Spider-Man, too?

- If he is cast as Spider-Man, he might not have the time to do more Kick-Ass films. I want more and more Kick-Ass films.

- If he's both Spider-Man and Kick-Ass, he might have to parodise himself in Kick-Ass.

+ Which, on second thought, could be quite cool.

Alden Ehrenreich

- He has a difficult name. They would misspell it in the movie posters, or something.

+ He's an unknown face, which could be nice. Tobey was fairly unknow when he first pulled the leotard on.

+/- I've never seen him before, so I have no idea about this quy's talents.

- He looks a bit old compared to the other candidates. Wouldn't buy him as a teenager.

Andrew Garfield

+ He's adorable.

+ He sure as hell has the talent to do anything he's asked.

- I'd start crying in the middle of a Spider-Man movie, because he reminds me of Boy A.

+ He's a Brit. I'd like a British Spider-Man.

+ Imaginarium proved he looks good in funny costumes, surrounded by CGI.

- I'd rather see him do drama than a brainless superhero movie. He might be too talented for the part.

Anton Yelchin

+ Though I have seen him only in Charlie Bartlett, I liked him a lot in that one.

- Is he too skinny?

+ Nah, there are a lot of gyms in the world.

+ There's a certain kind of Spidey vibe in him.

- He'd have no problems with the comedy part of the role.

Frank Dillane

- He is Voldemort. Voldemort is the most evil thing on Earth.

- I didn't like him as Voldemort. The actor in The Chamber of Secrets was a lot better. This guy was slimy and still kind of tame.

- I don't get the Spidey vibe.

- He doesn't look geeky enough.

- In this picture he looks a bit like James Franco - who of course played Peter's best friend in the trilogy. That might indeed be a better role for him...?

- There seems to be everything wrong with this guy. Sorry. No chance.

+ Because I don't like him, he will surely be cast as Spider-Man.

Jamie Bell

+ He danced his way into my heart as Billy Elliot.

+ So I kind of love him.

+ I liked him a lot in King Kong, too.

+ This could be his chance to shine, to get the symphaties of the big audiences and maybe to get more visible roles in more movies.

+ He's so very cute.

+ He's short of geeky and shy, but I could totally see him transform into a badass superhero.

- I so very much want to see him dance again. Spider-Man might not be the best role for that purpose.

+ On second thought, there was that notorious dance scene in the third movie...

Logan Lerman

+ Sure looks like a teenager.

- Apparently that Percy Jakcson film he was in was kind of bad.

- Oh I don't know. I've never seen him in anything.

-/+ I could totally see the teenage girls go crazy for him. Could turn annoying.

Michael Angerano

+ I remember him being quite sweet in Lords of Dogtown.

+ Looks like an unpopular geek with a heart of gold.

- Should go to gym.

- I just kind of can't see him putting on that costume and looking cool.

+ He's feels like kind of an underdog.

+ I like underdogs.

VERDICT: Jamie Bell should play Peter Parker/Spider-Man. Because I only want good things for that guy and a role in a major franchise might do him a lot of good.

BUT: I suppose they'll be very boring and obvious and cast Aaron Johnson. Because he's so hot right now. And well, I wouldn't mind. (Eye candy is always welcome.) But I just enjoy surprises. I almost hope they cast Voldemort.

Well, they are expected to make the choice very soon. I can only hope they haven't done it while I've been writing this post, so that after I publish this and go to IMDb I spot a news title: Frank Dillane is the new Spider-Man! That would be lame and not only because of the bad choice.

Boy A

Boy A (2007)

Directed by John Crowley. Starring Andrew Garfield, Peter Mullan, Siobhan Finneran.

Long story short: At the age of 24, a man is released from prison, where he's spent most of his life - he'd been sentenced for a murder of another child. Now he attempts to start over in a new town with a new identity.

... Okay. So. I just finished watching this film, and it moved me, a lot. Then afterwards I glanced through some topics on the film's IMDb board, like I often do. And I found out that a lot of people think that this film is based on actual events - apparently there are a lot of parallels to the murder of James Bulger. I knew very little about this case before, and was obviously shocked as I look at it closer. My mind began to wander around things that were far too disturbing and will probably give me nightmares, so I was sensible enough to stop there. But. I also began to think about the film differently, so I think I'll sleep on it and finish this post tomorrow, when I'll hopefully be able to view it as a purely fictional story, like the author of the original novel most likely meant it to be. And I really need to clear my head from all these horrible thoughts.

Alright, it's the morning after. I didn't have nightmares, but before falling asleep I had to numb my brain by watching TV shop commercials. Apparently, it worked. Anyway.

Andrew Garfield plays the main character admirably well. He definitely someone to keep an eye on in the future. The way he plays Jack - making him vulnerable, delicate, hurt, and yet sympathetic and reservedly optimistic about his uncertain future - makes it difficult to judge him for his past. I don't know about the rest of you, but I symphatized with Jack all the time. And it was almost a bit alarming how easily I forgave him for the horrible thing he once did. I was willing to give him a second chance - and that's one of the great things about this film: like the tag line asks, who decides who gets a second change?

All the people in the film feel very real. Peter Mullan plays Terry, a social worker, who dedicates himself to Jack's case, doing his very best to help him settle in and start over. Siobhan Finneran plays Kelly, a confident and compassionate girl, whom Jack falls in love with. I also liked Shaun Evans' character Chis, who becomes friends with Jack. He seemed like a fair, nice guy. (And ahem, he was good-looking, ahem.)

Structurally the film was very good, too. It gradually revealed more and more about Jack's past and that horrible incident, sometimes giving only flashes of things to come, and letting the viewer to guess and do their own conclusions about certain things. While at present we see Jack getting a job, making friends, partying, and once in a while actually looking really happy and like anyone else. And yet he's always struggling, never able to let go of the past, always glancing behind his back and fearing that someone will find out who he is.

Boy A is a rare film that I can recommend to anyone. I usually prefer lighter and more positive movies, and even though Boy A is a difficult, dark, even depressing film, I don't regret watching it, not at all. The hours and minutes flew by and in the end I didn't want to say goodbye to the characters yet. It was a very emotinal film and yes, there were some tears towards the end. And after I finish this post I'll order the book this film is based on. This is a story I'm not willing to let go just yet.

Boy A had a big impact on me, and it'll surely linger on my mind for quite a while. This is PARTLY because of the research I did afterwards and how it shocked me. It's disturbing enough that grown-ups do things like that, but little children... That's something I don't want to think about too much, but really, who's to blame? Before this post turns into society critique, I'll stop. (And go cheer myself up by watching Glee.) Films like Boy A are great and really, really worth watching, but there's a reason why I don't watch them too often. Fiction is always just fiction, no matter how horrifying, but reality is something that you can't so easily overlook. And it shouldn't always be mixed with fiction.

"You grew. You changed. You earned the right to be Jack Burridge. And Jack Burridge has not lied to that girl, 'cause Jack Burridge has done nothing to lie about."

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)

Directed by Terry Gilliam. Starring Heath Ledger, Christopher Plummer, Lily Cole & Johnny Depp, Jude Law, Colin Farrell.

Long story short: (... This is really difficult!) Doctor Parnassus likes to gamble with the Devil, literally. One of the deals he's made is to give his child to the Devil when they turn 16. His daughter Valentina is approaching that age, and Parnassus is running out of both time and ideas. Maybe one more deal will help him out of the mess? Then a mysterious stranger turns up and offers a helping hand. Oh, and then there's this mirror that takes you to an imaginary world where you have to make a choice.

The name Terry Gilliam guarantees something out of ordinary. I was actually afraid that it would be TOO out of ordinary, meaning just plain weird. Other Gilliam films I've seen include Twelve Monkeys (pretty good!), Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (never really got this one), The Brothers Grimm (I remember kind of liking it) and Brazil (talk about TOO weird... Damn it was confusing!). Plus some Monty Pythons. I was almost relieved when I realized I was actually able to follow the plot and I knew what was happening (almost) all the time! Of course there were a few wtf moments, like I'm not entirely sure what that ending was all about. Oh well.

Let's take a look at the cast, then, shall we! First, of course, Heath Ledger. For a while I couldn't stop wondering things like "which one was the last scene he ever shot" and "this scene must have been shot after his death, they must all feel so terrible", but luckily most of the time I was able to concentrate on the film itself. Heath was good (however, not quite like Joker or Ennis Delmar) and the character of Tony fitted him quite well. I somehow trusted Tony all the time, despite all the signs of a suspicious past, and I wanted him to be good in the end. I guess it's the charming way Heath Ledger played the character.


Christopher Plummer was excellent as the ancient and mysterious Doctor. I liked Lily Cole, too. Verne Troyer as Percy was just pure gold, with his sarcastic attitude. ("Percy, what would I do without you?" "Get a midget.") (Verne always reminds me of the British Celebrity Big Brother. I remember watching an episode, in which they had a chili eating challenge. Because of his small size, the chilis of course affected him more than the others, but the poor man ate them all anyway.) Who really won me over was Anton, played by Andrew Garfield. I was rooting for him all the time! A sweet boy, totally had my sympathies. For some reason Tom Waits's Devil left me a bit cold. He just wasn't, well, devilish enough for me. I liked the short appearance of Peter Stormare!

Then the three Imaginary Tonys, played by, as you all know, Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell. I couldn't help wondering how different the film would've been, had Ledger finnished shooting all of his scenes, but I guess that's beside the point. It worked well this way, too. All of the Imaginary Tonys did well, and I happen to like all three actors, but the best one had to be Johnny Depp. He had the least screen time, but gosh, I don't know, maybe it's just his unbeatable charisma. No wonder us ladies just adore him. Man-wise, this was a very good film.


AND in other ways, too! I'm not even getting started about the visual part, but hey, Terry Gilliam has one hell of an imagination. The scene with Jude Law's Tony in the clouds, wow. And that's just one example. Quite stunning indeed. I liked the contrast between the Imaginarium and the real world, which is so modern and so, well, ordinary. It was almost weird to see supermarkets and night clubs in a film like this. But I liked it!

What else what else what else...? Well. This film (the title is so long, I try to avoid writing it. Of course, writing this, I would have written it at least three times already. Sigh.) was a positive surprise for me, because I expected something way more over the top. This is definitely not a film for everyone. But I enjoyed it.

In the beginning of the end credits there was a text: A Film from Heath Ledger & Friends. I thought is was a nice salute. This is what Gilliam says in the DVD, I quote this from IMDb: "The loss of Heath Ledger was such a blow that it was a kind of a test of everybody involved in this film. Whether, in these kinds of incredibly difficult circumstances, we could continue and make a film worthy of Heath's last movie. And I think because of so many people, so many people who loved him, respected him, we pulled it off. It's also why I couldn't put a credit that was contractual on the film. And the contractual credit was, 'A film by Terrry Gilliam.' And I couldn't do that. I just didn't think that was right. And so one night, the cast and some of the crew were all gathered in Vancouver, toasting Heath, and saying, 'What are we gonna do? What are we gonna call it?' And we all agreed to call it, 'A film from Heath Ledger & Friends.' And I think it's truly the honest, accurate, and right credit. Forget contracts, for once let the truth speak."

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (there, I did it!) was a bit of a mess at times, but I'm glad I watched it.

"Do you dream? Or should I say... can you put a price on your dreams?"