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Usually when I think about independent films I think low budget, inexperienced, messy and full of dialogue that is questionable, this however just shows how much the big movies can hypnotise and cram us full of nonsense.
I have now watched a multitude of independent films that have surprised and delighted me, with a professional look and the obviously talented contributors having done an amazing job. Though one stand out film for me is Fairview St from Rebel Pictures, it is by far one of the best independent films I have ever had the pleasure of viewing, and that is my honest opinion. I may not have seen many, but easily enough to know when heart and soul have been pumped into the production. Who needs the big budget when you have determination?
From word go Broken Dreams tells you in the title that it's going to be an emotional movie that suggests depressing themes. When I first read the title I was prepared for a film that centralised around a broken home or failed relationship, but these genres are merely background noise to the unexpected darker subjects that are tackled within this beautifully executed production.
JWB. What was the inspiration behind your feature film Fairview St?
MM. Fairview St. is my first feature film as a writer/director. It took me years to write. Through that process I hit every possible stage of writer's block. I didn't write from any autobiographical place, but I did pull certain story ideas and situations from people that I knew. That combined with a vivid imagination and a love for classic films helped be gear the look, feel and tone to the film. I wanted it to to be a modern day noir story. Following the lines of a true noir: "wherever the protagonist goes, fate is tripping him up."
JWB. And what inspired you to become a film maker?
JWB: Where did the inspiration for such a tragically themed story come from?
DC: Well first of all, I wanted to do a character driven story about love, friendship and addiction. With flawed characters that you could still love, much like our real friends and family. My co-writer Jeff Wallace is a recovering alcoholic. A point that he made very clear to me about addiction is that addicts usually hurt the people that love them much more than they hurt themselves. That was the main message that we wanted to come from the movie. And also it could be a cautionary tale.
With the action genre being a little bit hit and miss over the last decade, the film Expendables will remind everyone what a true action movie is all about. We have all recently grown accustom to the more psychological action hero like Jason Bourne with his more laid back incognito type attitude, or the more over the top impossible traits of fantasy superhero or magical protagonists.
Do you believe in the wonders of dreaming, the possibility of sharing a dream with another person, the capability of designing your dream right down to the last tiny detail? The Writer and Director of Inception Christopher Nolan does.
Leonardo DiCaprio stars as the main protagonist Dom Cobb, a thief who specializes in stealing ideas straight from your very head by invading your dreams. The art is called extraction, and the mechanics behind this are somewhat of a science fiction element to the film, though I can already see conspiracy theorists concluding that this is no make-believe concept. Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), is Cobb's right hand man, the guy who is an expert in controlling said mechanics in the art of extraction.
I don't want to sound biased at all in this review but it may benefit you to know that Tess is my all time favourite author. In my head, she can do no wrong in her work. I will give my honest opinion of her latest novel. Gripping, brilliant and entertaining throughout. My only issue with this novel is that it ended. I wanted to carry on reading right through the back cover. Though this is usually the case when I read crime.
Remake or reboot? I can’t decide with Predators. I am a fan of the originals and have to admit I even enjoyed the action in AVP, but the story was a little sour. The script for the new film was written by Alex Litvak & Michael Finch, who loosely based it around an old script by Robert Rodriguez who worked on the film as a Producer. Predators was directed by Nimród Antal. The film seems to follow on from the 1987 original, with no impact from the sequel or the more modern crossovers. It’s set in a jungle like the first original, and even has a mention to it.
Predators Opens with Royce (Adrien Brody) falling from the sky whilst unconscious, he awakes to find himself falling to his death and failing to let out a parachute. His parachute then automatically deploys seconds before Royce reaches the treetops. Others follow, all loaded up to their ears with weaponry. The group consists of Isabelle (Alice Braga), a sniper-wielding token female. Cuchillo (Danny Trejo), a Mexican gang leader. Nikolia (Oleg Taktarov), a Russian soldier. Hanzo (Louis Ozawa Changchien), a Yakuza gang member, and a few other former combatants. The most out-of-place of them all is Edwin (Topher Grace) a doctor who seems to be useless throughout.
Bill Nighy, Emily Blunt, Rupert Grinn and Rupert Everett star in this black comedy based on the 1993 French film Cible Emouvante. From trailers and advertisements you would be lead to believe that Wild Target is a leg slapping corker of a laugh out loud comedy. This however only rings true for the majority of the first half and only a few moments later when it’s a little more cringe worthy humorous than the comedy you would expect to continue throughout.
As far as other reviews go, I appose them all. Get him to the Greek may be an over the top, eyeful of a comedy, but I agree when comparisons have been made, and taglines read it’s this year’s Hangover. If any movie has made me laugh from start to finish so far this year, it’s this film. With fan favorite stars and an easily comic plot, there’s not much room for error in this feature.
