Wednesday 14 October 2009

Films: Juno (Empire Top 500 # 463)




















Juno
Director: Jason Reitman
Released: 2007
Popcorns: 4.5/5

Faced with an unplanned pregnancy, an offbeat young woman makes an unusual decision regarding her unborn child.

This was the first film we sat down to watch from the top 500 list (doing this a bit out of order, but was just testing out the site with 12 Angry Men and it deserved a review).

Juno has a great, untaxing, storyline to it, with a good script to back it up.  This is the second time I'd seen this film and I think I enjoyed it more than the first, as I seemed to pick up a few more parts of the story that I missed first time round.

The acting in it is supurb.  Ellen Page and Michael Cera really work well together and seem to be at ease acting with each other.  The scene that properly chokes me up (yeah, I cried, what of it?) is the end scene where they're both playing the Moldy Peaches song Anyone Else But You. 



It's not the best rendition, but it's a very fitting end to a fine film.

Films: 12 Angry Men (Empire Top 500 # 72)














12 Angry Men
Director: Sidney Lumet
Released: 1957
Popcorns: 5/5

A dissenting juror in a murder trial slowly manages to convince the others that the case is not as obviously clear as it seemed in court.

Me and Laura have been inspired by others to watch the top 500 Empire films and this was one of them.
This is the first time I've ever watched this film and I can quite safely say that it is one of the best films I've ever seen.

As this is filmed mostly in one room (the establishing court room shot and final exit shot of the character's being the exceptions) the script had to hold its own and it is fantastic.  It keeps you hooked throughout with its sharpness, wit and even very moving dialogue.
The tension between the actors is electric and each of the juror's has their own unique personality and reason for their decision on the trail.  It's perfectly acted and perfectly shot.

Doing a bit of research after the film, I was sadden, but not shocked, to read that all but one of the jurors had since passed away. The remaining one is Juror #5, played by Jack Klugman, who has been acting up until 2005.



All in all, this is an excellent film and should be in everyone's DVD collection.

First Post

I guess the first post should be to let people know what's going to be in this blog.
It probably won't be updated very regularly, but when it is, it will be about books, films, music and other things I find interesting.
I may not get any readers, but that's not the point really.  It's just to document things that I will most likely forget the day after. haha!
If anyone is reading...enjoy!