Hunger Games (2012)

Director: Gary Ross
Actors: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woddy Harrelson, Donald Sutherland


I must confess that was quite unsure what to expect. I had only very scant knowledge of the story and had not read the novels. I went almost entirely on seeing the trailer and it is refreshing that this film was not too hyped up as for example the newly released massive turkey flop of "John Carter". I was pleasantly surprised and left the cinema very satisfied after watching this accomplished and at points philosophical piece of cinema. It is the kind of film that one can watch on several layers and will appeal to both the target teenage group and adults alike.


The plot revolves around the annual "Hunger Games" staged as a punishment by the Capitol district as a result of a revolt some 78 years ago. This dystopia of a vision of a post collapsed USA shows the now renamed country Panem. This is interesting as it is a reference to the ancient Roman dogma of Panem et circenses, bread and circus, to keep the people happy. The country is divided in 12 districts that all serve the purpose of ensuring that the decadence of the Capitol is made possible. Two tributes, one boy and one girl aged 12 - 20, is selected to fight to the death in the Hunger Games. The games are aired on live television and is of course a satire of modern day reality TV shows. One "Victor" remains and is crowned by the President/Dictator of this fascist state. 
The main character played by the wonderful Jennifer Lawrence volunteers in lieu of her younger sister. The two tributes are taken to the Capitol and is groomed and trained by a team. The games is set in completely controlled forest environment that can induce everything from fires to lethal beasts. The struggle of survival is evident and is in contrast to the excitement of the TV audience. The film feels like a mixture of the sentiment of "Lord of the flies" and modern day thirst for new and ever increasing TV shocks. The ending of the movie is interesting and well worth a closer look. I do not want to spoil the ending but it has both political and emotional implications. I would have welcomed a more expanded ending to make this a truly great film. The end of the film leaves at least me feeling a bit flat as it could have been so much more to expand on.


The juxtaposition between the poverty stricken district and the decadent and colourful decadence of the Capitol is powerful. The districts are illustrated as grey, flat and people without hope or even a will to revolt to such conditions. The Capitol is to great effect shown as the centre of decadence. The inhabitance is dressed in colourful and often outrageously camp outfits, men and women alike. The sleazy TV host is a brilliant character that shows the brashness underneath his whiter than white smile and it is clear it is part of a political game. As the President, masterfully played by Sutherland, describes the only thing more powerful than fear is hope. A small controlled amount of hope keeps the districts under control. That is the reason the hunger games exist and one tribute survives. 
It is interesting when the games start no one seem to have any moral objections that teenagers and children are pitted against each other and in the most brutal way slaughter each other. It only shows in a perfectly executed way how thin the layer of veneer is that we call civilisation and morality really is. It reminds the viewer that it can so easily be removed. 


This is a successful film and well worth watching on the big screen. It flows well and have many interesting aspects. Well done.


Rating 4 out of 5

21 Jump street (2012)

Director: Phil Lord and Chris Miller
Actors:  Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum and Ice Cube

This cinema experience should not work but it does. It is so funny and so out of line that it is a joy to watch.

The story is about two not very cleaver police officers that get sent to be undercover in a high school to unravel a drug gang. High school have changed and the looser becomes the cool kid on the block. Of course in the end they manage to solve the problem and squash the drug dealers once and for all.
The film is not deep nor any pretence that it has any intention to do so. However it works due to a high level of very funny side. It is slap stick, it is pre puberty, and it is silly. It works on so many levels.
Sheer joy and fun and on a deep level how it would be to be able to re-live those important high school years. The Channing character pour out his wisdom saying that the less interest you show the more popular you get proves wrong. When he finally embrase learning and the chemistry class he is in it actually pays off in the end.
The telling off they both get as the parents return home finding the home turned into a party scene is priceless. I am glad my parents never did the same.
It is not by any means Shakespeare but for some truly funny bits that will make you laugh out loud this is brilliant.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Raging sun, racing sky (2010)

Director: Julian Hernandez
Actors: Jorge Becerra, Javier Olivan, Guillermo Villegas, Giovanna Zacarias

This is an artistic film of many aspects. I am still not sure what the film is about. It is visually stunning playing with long shot scenes, music, black and white shots that gradually turns into colour and virtually no dialogue.
This obvious ambitious project of a film intrigues the viewer as well as due to the slow pace together with the music is mesmerising and with some meditative and messmerising effects. I had this on my Lovefilm list and did not know what to expect when starting the film. There is simply no dialogue but occasional exclamations by a woman dressed as an Inca Indian that is a spirit being. The film is shot in Mexico and alters between urban setting and the forest.
The film is about love, soul mate, bonds and how love conquers all. The bond of the lovers are tested following an abduction. There is some truly stunning visual aspects that is pleasing. The film starts in black and white. During the film occasional bouts of colours appear. It is pale pastel like colours that later intensifies.
The film have a slow pace and is slightly over three and half hours long allowing it to explore the subject and lure in the viewer.
I suspect that some people would view this arty bound to oblivion. However one must applaud the courage that the director chose to create a film with artistic integrity. I could not help but draw parallels to Fellini's film "Satyricon" who likewise lack much dialogue and relies on a more visual experience.
There is some very good acting. It is a challenge in today's overhyped CGI film world of a challenging piece of work which makes the viewer think and reflect.
This film is not for everyone and certainly when watching one has to be in the mood and have the time.

Rating: 3.5 of 5

Project X (2012)

Director: Nima Nourizadeh
Actors: Thomas Mann, Oliver Cooper and Jonathan Daniel Brown

This is film is a great joy to watch. It leaves you feeling warm, glad, life affirming and a reminder of those late teenage years.
The main character Thomas is turning 17. His parents are going away for the weekend. His two friends decide it is time for a party to remember. They certainly achieve their goal with gusto. Based on true events in Pasadena, USA. The three friends are a joy to watch. They are not the most popular kids in high school and leaning towards the nerdy side. With the use of social media, sms's and even a phone in to a radio station the word is out.
They go to the local drug dealer and buy some weed and on the way out steals a garden gnome which it later turns out is full of a massive stash of ecstasy pills.
The friends even go around informing the neighbours about the plans for a small birthday soiree. The dj is in place, two guys as security. The inside of the house is off limits. So far so good.
Guests start to arrive in droves until the party swells to over a 1000. Thomas initially struggles to have a good time because he worries about the amount of people coming and the house. During the film it gets more and more out of hand.
There is a very funny scene with a very small dwarf who gets put inside the owen. Needless to say he is furious when finally released and start punching guys in the more private parts.
As an epilogue after the riot police have dispersed of the revellers there is a wonderful scene where Thomas and his father looks at the utter destruction. With mixed emotions the father is actually quite proud that his son actually managed to be so popular.

This film is manic and really enjoyable. Not much of deep thoughts but a wonderful sense of innocence, joy, friends and the way teenagers develops. Teenage angst, wanting to be popular and having a good time. It leaves you warm and happy. It has some great scenes of how things just gets so out of hand you can not stop it. The more destruction the more obvious that the only solution is just to let completely go and make the most of it. The three friends are good actors. This cinema experience have the possibility to become a classic teenage high school film of the 2010's as Ferris Bueller day off was for the 1980's.

Rating: 3.7 of 5

I. Robot (2004)

Director: Alex Proyas
Main actors: Will Smith, Bridget Moynaham, James Cromwell, Alan Tudyk

The film is around a technophobe police officer who is investigating the death of the founder of a robotic company. It is set in the future where mankind is helped out by an army of robot servants. The robots are all ruled by the three laws. The laws is there to protect any human from being injured or harmed by the robots. On examining the death of the inventor a different kind of robot is found. The robot is called Sonny and as it is later discovered in the film have been fitted with added software which allows the robot to make own decisions.
All robots are controlled by "Viki" who is the "mother"computer or framework. Viki it is later discovered have evolved and in order to protect mankind have decided that humans are like children and needs to be detained.
Will Smith character Del who appears to be a paranoid police officer is proven right in the end. Together with the character Susan they get to the core of the malfunctioning robots and in the end save mankind.
There is some awesome action scenes in the film and on the whole it is enjoyable. Nothing out of the ordinary for a standard action movie from Hollywood. It tries to pose questions about intelligence, individuality, humanity and the soul. However in the scope of an ordinary action movie this get lost in order to give time for great CGI effects and action. Of course our hero eventually manage to corrupt and kill off Viki in the end. This makes all the evil robots to become placid and again drones to mankind. There is even a battle between the old robots and the new ones where the older version tries to protect mankind but fails.

Sonny the robot have been programmed to dream or as Del describe it hide messages draws a futuristic yet messianic picture of a man/robot uniting the drones. This is where the movie is out of its depth. It does not have the time or energy to explore this further. It leaves the audience dry by asking questions. Is the suggestion that a new species of beings have been created? Will the robots unite and either live alongside human beings or indeed get rid of them been created? The ending leaves the audience to feel that this movie just drops everything and the hero couple rides off in the sunset whilst the hero robot is left standing on the hill and the other robots look up and stops. They have found the robot leader. With the right directions this movie could have been so much more than just a action movie with a week ending. However as a action movie it is well made with great visual effects and well worth watching.

Rating: 3 of 5

Barbarian (2003 version)

Director: Henry Crum
Main actors: Michael O'Hearn, Irina Grigoryvea and Svetlana Metkina


The sword and sorcery genre is a category that can be fun to watch. They do not carry a deep meaning and have no pretence. There is something satisfying with primal scenes. Manly men who grunt and fight on an epic scale against the evil ruler. They always get the beautiful woman in the end after winning the last epic battle. As an extra ingredient it always has quest to find some magic item that will make the owner the ruler of the world. Those are the basic but yet working ingredients of the genre. The classic films is undoubtedly the brilliant "Conan the Barbarian" (1982) with Arnold Schwarzenegger and the really cool "The Barbarian Brothers" (1987) with the Paul brothers.

I would like to point out that I watched this version of Barbarian by mistake. And what a mistake it was. It is probably one of the worst films in existence. The plot is the classical one of the genre with our hero to rescue a captured princess as well as the three magical items. He who possess all three items will be immortal and rule the world. The evil ruler have called for a competition to the death by warriors and the price will be to become the general of the army. On the outset all is well even for a B movie.
However the script makes you cringe beyond belief. Even for a B movie this is so rubbish. The acting is awful. The "star" is Michael O'Hearn who is trying something but fails. All he manages is trying to look manly and flex his muscular physique. The movie also try to salvage itself presumably to appease the audience by having plenty of very scantily dressed women that all live in the harem of the evil ruler. There is a subplot with an Amazon warrior who is some sort of feminist lesbian champion of the harem. Of course she manages to free all the women using only kitchen utensils. Perhaps something for Gordon Ramsay to think about.
The poor barbarian is not a very good one. He doesn't even manage to win the final fight. The evil ruler is finally killed by the now freed and presumably emancipated Princess who finally kills the ruler and saves the viewer from this truly awful movie.

Rating: 0.5 of 5

The best exotic Marigold Hotel

This is a confused piece of cinema. It tries so hard to make everyone happy and it fails so miserable. A fantastic cast, feel good plot and a great location should be a recipe of success. Sadly it is not.
The story of a group of retired English people due to financial reasons decide to move to the Marigold hotel in Jaipur, India. What unravels is a story that does not make sense. There is moments of brilliant performances that is great. However as movie it does not work.
There is for example a "Brokeback mountain" moment where the former high court judge have found his long lost lover. After a night of talking with the now married former lover he dies of a heart attack. Nothing more comes out of this. This in itself could make the stuff of an entire movie.

Judie Dench plays a widow who has discovered that her late husband have amassed debts and is forced to sell her apartment. However she is forced to get a job in a call centre to make ends meet. There is never any explanation to the character nor any deeper exploration of her love for the Bill Nighy character.

The sub plot is around Dev Patel an his passion for the disaster that is the Marigold Hotel. It is in financial ruin but he has passion that the hotel will work. Just as his father did. It is a classical story that he will in the end make his mother and the world understand that his passion is greater than reason. This hapless character is almost a parody of itself. A young man trying to find himself and eventually does. It turns out that his mother ones was the girl that was not good enough to marry his father. It is almost sickening to watch.

The entire movie is saved by the fantastic performance of Maggie Smith. She is formidable as the former housekeeper who can not abide anything foreign that travels to India to have a hip replacement. Her search for rich tea biscuits is funny. It is obvious that she has a past that have been squashed. Eventually she bonds with a female servant of the untouchable class. There is some touching moments and once again we are reminded of how great of an actress she is. Her character eventually save the entire Marigold hotel and movie.

This movie had so much promise but it was predictable, uneventful and one was wondering when the movie actually would start. It is such a shame that it did not work. The script was jut to sloppy, to thin and did not know its own direction.

Rating: 2.5 of 5