If you haven’t heard of the Pirates franchise you must have been living in a rock. The first three films were some of the highest grossing movies ever. Johnny Depp has gone from underground and weird to overground and still a bit weird.
The plot of this instalment is a lot easier to understand than the last two films. In fact, I would go as far as to say that this film could be viewed as a self-contained entity, which is rare praise for a blockbuster in the past five years. It is left open for a squeal but there doesn’t have to be one for it to make sense.
Basically, there is a race to find the fountain of youth and everyone has their motivations. Geoffery Rush is Captain Barbossa and is amazing, as is Ian McShane as Blackbeard. Johnny Depp’s portrayal as Captain Jack is even more over the top and quite predictable but that’s okay because Captain Jack is fantastic. As a side note, I was very impressed by Keith Richards’ acting chops in his brief cameo.
What I found most disappointing about the film is the typical portrayal of the damsel in distress. As the story of Grainne O Malley shows, a strong woman pirate isn’t too far fetched but Penelope Cruz’s character fails to live up to expectations.
However, all in all this is an exciting swashbuckling adventure. And what else would you expect when you go to see a pirate movie.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Chalet Girl – A Review
British comedy- why does it work so well on TV but not in film? There are the rare gems of The Life of Brian and Withnail and I, but all in all British comedy films have been a poor lot. Kevin and Perry go Large anyone?
Chalet Girl is the tale of a working class girl (Felicity Jones) who is living in an upper class world. This upper class world is home to a rather dashing chap ( Ed Westwick). Could romance ensue? Of course it could, this story has been played out so many times.
The 97 minutes could have been cut down to one montage of snowboarding and kissing. Then letting the obligatory happy ending play out in full to give us that fuzzy feeling.
I can’t even think who would enjoy this film, the only possibility is some one who came down in the last shower and doesn’t have a concept of tired or clichéd.
Avoid at all costs.
Chalet Girl is the tale of a working class girl (Felicity Jones) who is living in an upper class world. This upper class world is home to a rather dashing chap ( Ed Westwick). Could romance ensue? Of course it could, this story has been played out so many times.
The 97 minutes could have been cut down to one montage of snowboarding and kissing. Then letting the obligatory happy ending play out in full to give us that fuzzy feeling.
I can’t even think who would enjoy this film, the only possibility is some one who came down in the last shower and doesn’t have a concept of tired or clichéd.
Avoid at all costs.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud- A Review
Zac Efron is best known for his role in High School Musical. The Death and Life.. is his star vehicle. The plot centres on Charlie St Cloud (Efron) and his relationship with his dead brother, Sam (Charlie Tahan). Yes that’s right, his dead brother. If this sounds a little strange, that is because it is. This movie is weird. Weird can be good, like Donnie Darko, but this is just the bad kind of weird. About 30 minutes into the movie you start to hope that some one refers the poor chap to a professional psychologist.
Other plot points thrown in are; sailing, St. Jude, High School rivalry, and graveyard geese.
The 100 minutes feel like 100 days. 100 long days. The acting is only saved by the love interest Amanda Crew and a brief appearance by Ray Liotta. Kim Bassinger stars as Efron’s mother, briefly.
The main problems with The Death and Life... are the questionable acting and bizarre premise. Teenage girls might enjoy this because Efron is topless for a large portion of the movie, and not to mention brooding. Brooding is very in right now.
The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud in one word: wtf?
Other plot points thrown in are; sailing, St. Jude, High School rivalry, and graveyard geese.
The 100 minutes feel like 100 days. 100 long days. The acting is only saved by the love interest Amanda Crew and a brief appearance by Ray Liotta. Kim Bassinger stars as Efron’s mother, briefly.
The main problems with The Death and Life... are the questionable acting and bizarre premise. Teenage girls might enjoy this because Efron is topless for a large portion of the movie, and not to mention brooding. Brooding is very in right now.
The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud in one word: wtf?
Sunday, August 1, 2010
The Rebound- A Review
When a movie starts with an idiotic continuity mistake then you know you’re in for a rough ride. To be honest I went in with low expectations. I can’t even remember the last movie that Catherine Zeta-Jones was in (Death Defying Acts-for anyone who cares) let alone that I enjoyed. That’s not forgetting the male lead is that guy from The Hangover, not Bradley Cooper.
The movie starts with Sandy (Catherine Zeta-Jones) leaving her kids at school in a silver SUV. On her drive home in a red SUV she sings along to Meredith Brook’s Bitch. Oh, you see that’s to show that she is not your regular suburban mum. She’s a little cool and she likes sports as we will see later in a very unnecessary, lengthy exploration of her working life.
Long story short, and this movie is long, her husband is cheating on her so she moves to Manhattan, blah Blah Blah finds herself attracted to the much younger male babysitter, Aram (Justin Bartha).
The movie continues in the most conventional manner possible. They took the latest trend of cougars and threw in some stereotypes and references to MILF’s. Oh, it is hilarious to see the differences between younger people and older people. Don’t forget to throw in some very annoying kids who are the greatest example of what is wrong with youth today- bratty and uncontrollable.
I’m not really sure why this movie made it to cinemas. It is perfect for gaggles of middle aged women swilling down a bottle of wine each per hour in front of their flat screen TV on their ‘girls night in’, thinking what it is like to have their very own toy boy.
Avoid this disaster at all costs. However, saying that, it does deserve one award- the longest, most pointless montage in movie history. Congratulations makers of The Rebound.
The movie starts with Sandy (Catherine Zeta-Jones) leaving her kids at school in a silver SUV. On her drive home in a red SUV she sings along to Meredith Brook’s Bitch. Oh, you see that’s to show that she is not your regular suburban mum. She’s a little cool and she likes sports as we will see later in a very unnecessary, lengthy exploration of her working life.
Long story short, and this movie is long, her husband is cheating on her so she moves to Manhattan, blah Blah Blah finds herself attracted to the much younger male babysitter, Aram (Justin Bartha).
The movie continues in the most conventional manner possible. They took the latest trend of cougars and threw in some stereotypes and references to MILF’s. Oh, it is hilarious to see the differences between younger people and older people. Don’t forget to throw in some very annoying kids who are the greatest example of what is wrong with youth today- bratty and uncontrollable.
I’m not really sure why this movie made it to cinemas. It is perfect for gaggles of middle aged women swilling down a bottle of wine each per hour in front of their flat screen TV on their ‘girls night in’, thinking what it is like to have their very own toy boy.
Avoid this disaster at all costs. However, saying that, it does deserve one award- the longest, most pointless montage in movie history. Congratulations makers of The Rebound.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Mexican Food in Buenos Aires
If you have spent any amount of time in Buenos Airs you will have realised that almost every menu is the same. The parilla restaurant is King. If you really like steak and chips then this shouldn't be a problem but if your used to a restaurant culture where you can have Mexican one night, Creole the next you might get bored very quickly.
You don’t have a hope of finding Creole but there are a few Mexican restaurants that will satisfy your craving for something different. It is no surprise that the greatest concentration of these restaurants are in Palermo where you will find the most expats looking for a spice fix. The Argentines aren’t big fans of spice so in almost all the restaurants the food is toned down or you will get a stern warning about how spicy (picante) the mild salsa is.
Here are four of the best in Palermo Viejo:
La Flor Azteca (Thames 1472): This place has atmosphere, good food, spice, and extremely friendly staff. The food is as spicy as you would expect from a Mexican meal. I particularly recommend the Tabla Mexicana to share between two as it comes with a side of refried beans and Mexican rice that are to die for. Depending on how busy it is the service can be slow but they are never rude. The décor is nice,the tables are well spaced and the music can range from Mariachi to Radiohead.
Averge Main Course: ARG$28-32 Drink: ARG$18-20
La Fabrica del Taco (Gorriti 5062): If you are looking for cheap and cheerful then La Fabrica del Taco is the place for you. Some of their menu is very expensive but if you stick with the basic tacos then you should be fine. They offer different combinations of beef, chicken, cheese, lettuce etc. served in a soft taco. They then provide you with bottled sauces of varying degrees of picante. Unlike some places the muy picante is indeed very spicy. Depending on your appetite two or three of these will fill you up.
The décor is great with a wall full of Mexican wrestling masks. You get plastic plates and cutlery but this fits in with the fast, young atmosphere.
Average Main Course: ARG$ 14-20 Drink: ARG$ 12
Cielito Lindo (El Salvador 4999): The staff are very friendly and will do their best to help you through your bad Spanish. It is quite expensive but they don’t hold back on the spice. If you have an Argentine friend they also do more traditional parilla style offerings. The tables are close together and it can be hard to get in without a reservation-literally as you are not allowed to go inside until they find you a seat/your reservation is ready.
Average Main Course: ARG$ 30-35 Drink: ARG$ 15-20
Xalapa (El Salvador 4800): If you want to eat here at the weekend you have to have a reservation. The line can be half a block long. It is extremely popular with the Argentines. One reason for this might be because they take the spice out of everything, not to mention serve everything quite dry. The only thing to fire up your taste buds is a small bit of sauce that is served with the nachos when you sit down. The qality of the food is excellent, however, so if you really need that spice fix I recommend holding on to the nacho sauce and using it as a sauce for your main dish. The staff can be very hit and miss but the décor is nice and the tables are well spaced.
Average Main Course: ARG$ 28-35 Drink: ARG$20
You don’t have a hope of finding Creole but there are a few Mexican restaurants that will satisfy your craving for something different. It is no surprise that the greatest concentration of these restaurants are in Palermo where you will find the most expats looking for a spice fix. The Argentines aren’t big fans of spice so in almost all the restaurants the food is toned down or you will get a stern warning about how spicy (picante) the mild salsa is.
Here are four of the best in Palermo Viejo:
La Flor Azteca (Thames 1472): This place has atmosphere, good food, spice, and extremely friendly staff. The food is as spicy as you would expect from a Mexican meal. I particularly recommend the Tabla Mexicana to share between two as it comes with a side of refried beans and Mexican rice that are to die for. Depending on how busy it is the service can be slow but they are never rude. The décor is nice,the tables are well spaced and the music can range from Mariachi to Radiohead.
Averge Main Course: ARG$28-32 Drink: ARG$18-20
La Fabrica del Taco (Gorriti 5062): If you are looking for cheap and cheerful then La Fabrica del Taco is the place for you. Some of their menu is very expensive but if you stick with the basic tacos then you should be fine. They offer different combinations of beef, chicken, cheese, lettuce etc. served in a soft taco. They then provide you with bottled sauces of varying degrees of picante. Unlike some places the muy picante is indeed very spicy. Depending on your appetite two or three of these will fill you up.
The décor is great with a wall full of Mexican wrestling masks. You get plastic plates and cutlery but this fits in with the fast, young atmosphere.
Average Main Course: ARG$ 14-20 Drink: ARG$ 12
Cielito Lindo (El Salvador 4999): The staff are very friendly and will do their best to help you through your bad Spanish. It is quite expensive but they don’t hold back on the spice. If you have an Argentine friend they also do more traditional parilla style offerings. The tables are close together and it can be hard to get in without a reservation-literally as you are not allowed to go inside until they find you a seat/your reservation is ready.
Average Main Course: ARG$ 30-35 Drink: ARG$ 15-20
Xalapa (El Salvador 4800): If you want to eat here at the weekend you have to have a reservation. The line can be half a block long. It is extremely popular with the Argentines. One reason for this might be because they take the spice out of everything, not to mention serve everything quite dry. The only thing to fire up your taste buds is a small bit of sauce that is served with the nachos when you sit down. The qality of the food is excellent, however, so if you really need that spice fix I recommend holding on to the nacho sauce and using it as a sauce for your main dish. The staff can be very hit and miss but the décor is nice and the tables are well spaced.
Average Main Course: ARG$ 28-35 Drink: ARG$20
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