Go-Ape Blog

On every street in every city, there's a nobody who dreams of being a somebody

Go-Ape — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 23:41:13 GMT

It still shocks me today the amount of people who are yet to see this film. You can ask almost anybody if they know the lines from it and they will, but have they all seen it? Hell no.

Someone asked me to reccommend a good film the other day, so I said how bout Taxi Driver....'What's that then?'. This film is awesome. I'm not saying that The Departed was bad, far from it, it was brilliant, but if any Scorsese film was going to win an Oscar, it SHOULD have been this one.

I personally consider this film to be at the top of Robert De Niro's acting career as he plays Bickle so well. This film is a classic, but I think that goes without saying seeing as it produced some of the most iconic lines in cinema and has affected so many films and film makers throughout time. The score composed by Bernard Herrmann, was his last before he died and is a monument to his talent and may he never be forgotten. The diegetics of this film shaped it as much as the direction and the acting abilities of an amazing cast.

This land will be civilized

Go-Ape — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 23:15:38 GMT

Brilliant modern Western. Another genre film, completely unashamed of it's roots and quite rightly so. Graphically violent (exploding heads anyone?) and gratuitous in pretty much every sense of the word, this film is a cinematic feast whether you are or were a fan of the Westerns originally.

The visuals are rarely less than amazing and the whole concept of the film is brilliant to be honest. One brother must kill his older, more volatile brother in order to save his younger, more innocent brother from death. There are some truely brutal sequences in this film so if you are of a delicate nature then it might not exactly be the best film for you, but it is amazing so I'd advise you watch it. It is also something to behold as Ray Winstone plays a somewhat decent and loving character which I am yet to see him play in any other film - he's generally a bad guy or and arsehole. The film has some great acting in it and they all suit thier roles perfectly with some people cast wonderfully against thier usual characters. No longer typecast, the performances are strong and the film gives you an experience that most other films won't in this day.

NOT a treasure

Go-Ape — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 22:52:49 GMT

I think that for every bad film Nicolas Cage makes, somebody should burn one of his fingertips on a stove.

Perhaps he will learn eventually.

This film was crap. Don't watch it. Read a book. It's better for you.

They had nothing. They risked it all

Go-Ape — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 22:44:51 GMT

This is a brilliant piece of Irish Cinema, based on the masterpiece novel by Roody Doyle and adapted perfectly by Alan Parker.

It is such a shame that so few of the actors involved in this went on to do anything else. But that is the industries loss I suppose. The film has an outstanding soundtrack with some truely staggering vocals. I love the character of Deco because he is just such a total bastard but he is a great point of comedy within the film as the person everybody loves to hate. This is a laugh out loud film, and also maintains Doyle's original points about the unemployment in Dublin what with the arguement that "we're a fuckin' third world county".

This is masterpiece of cinema, and well worth a view. I would say that this film is one of the top 50 films and possibly the best film (that I've seen) that's come out of Ireland.

Nice planet. We'll take it!

Go-Ape — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 22:42:53 GMT

A film made back when Tim Burton was still brilliant. He's lately gone very much downhill as I have expressed before.

But this was when he was on top form and I am inclined to say that this film is better than brilliant. It is just so fantastically a B movie that there is nothing I can fault it on. Wait. Actually yes, I can fault it on one thing - it has Tom Jones it. That's not too cool, but aside from that this film is great. I love the design of the flying saucers.

I really don't know how to describe or explain this film so I'll just leave it at that This film is great fun with not one, but two great performances from jack Nicholson. Watch this film.

Call me if you ever feel too old to drive

Go-Ape — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 22:15:29 GMT

I really liked this film, but it's another one that I have to be in the right frame of mind to watch. It is a very endearing film with well fleshed out characters who hit all the right nerves and create a real connection with the audience. This is like a more indie Lost In Translation really.

It is witty and funny in places but it also deals with some more interesting themes and issues such as the internet culture and chat rooms etc. wherein his very young son makes a date with a woman who is into some rather strange things through something he saw as a joke. I like how the relationships between the characters build throughout thr film, especially the bond between the two kids cause the older brother takes time to help his younger brother and messes around with him - supplying some support that seems missing from his father.

All in all, I think it's a good film that's well worth a watch but be aware that it is not an overly cheerful film, but it is interesting and heart-warming.

Can a full grown woman truely love a MIDGET?

Go-Ape — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 21:38:45 GMT

I saw this film by accident. I was watching an old VHS that had The Three Amigo's on it and when it finished, it just sort of switched over to Freaks. First thought was turn it off, just watched one film, don't want to watch another. But I am so glad that I did cause this film is fantastic.

It was filmed in 1932 with a cast of real 'freaks' as they were known and considered to be at the time. The film deals with the treatment of those different from ourselves back when it was considered acceptable to make someone an outcast based on thier physical attributes. This is seen clearly right at the beginning when two men walk into a small group of 'pinheads' and tell the woman with them to exercise them somehwere else. The film can be harsh in those respects but that is implied I think by it's tagline with the exclamation of 'midget'.

It is terrible the ways in which these people were treated and the film exemplifies this with the woman's attitude and attmepted trickery of a 'midget' to get his wealth. But the revenge enacted upon her and her strong-man lover are adequate to create an essentially, happy, ending.

An outstanding film.

...look closer

Go-Ape — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 20:50:23 GMT

I must say that this is an amazing film. I love the ideals and thier portrayals in this film such as the white picket fence and the roses, all perfectly symetrical. I'd be lying if I said I'd seen Kevin Spacey in a bad role but I also have to say that I think this might be his best role to date. I absolutely love it when he loses it and just starts doing whatever the hell he wants to do.

I also love all the techniques that Mendes uses to express the feeling of entrapment. In many of the shots of Spacey you will notice that there are often shadows cast over him or windows or blinds - anything that simulates bars, helping to express his feelings of powerlessness and entrapment in both his home and his life.

This film examines the concept of beauty and popularity in society as well as the mundane aspects of life and our seeming inabilty to escape from them. This is simply an amzing film which I think that pretty much everybody should see. It may not be to your personal taste but I'd still say go see it cause it might be and you will never know until you try.

Music was his passion. Survival was his masterpiece

Go-Ape — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 20:15:22 GMT

I gave this film a miss for a long time, partly because I think you need to be in the right frame of mind to watch a film that is this heavy, but mainly because of my dislike of Roman Polanski. I mean he's a great film maker but we all know what he did, but I don't need to go into that here.

This film was amazing. I think that this film should be compulsary viewing in schools. I took History, we studied World War 2, I don't remember this film being mentioned let alone watched. Not only would this film be very educational, but it might just stir up a sense of compassion which Britain seems to be lacking at the moment, espeically in it's youth. So I think that the compulsary viewing of this film in schools would be hugely beneficial.

This film, like I said is one that you really need to have a set head for because it does deal with such a heavy content. If you aren't in the right frame of mind, you may get bored, or you may just turn it off as being too depressing. But either way, you should stick with it. It is a truely inspirational story about a man who withstood pretty much everything that the world could throw at him and stood up to it.

I would really reccommend that you see this film, it is an inspiration and a truely amazing film.

I was 27 years old the first time I died

Go-Ape — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 20:02:14 GMT

I absolutely loved this film. I had been reading about it all over the internet and in all of the film magazines that I was reading, but when it came out, nobody wanted to see it. I tried everyone I knew and nobody was interested. Also, it was difficult to track it to a cinema that was showing it. Eventually (cause I couldn't drive at the time) I persuaded my parents to drive me about 35 miles away to the closest cinema that I could find that was playing it.

If you were in the same position regardig a copy of the DVD or something, then I'd advise you go out of your way to see this film. Aside from the fact that it is a brilliant film with an interesting and intricate plot, whilst at times can be a little bit disturbing, it is amazing. The cinematography involved in this film and the editing. The two combined make the drawer scenes feel so overly clostrophobic that you'll walk away convinced that you've never liked confined spaces.

Supposedly, Keira Knightly went for the role stating that if she didn't get it, she knew she'd be in period dresses forever. Apparently that has happened despite the film. But oh well, she certainly puts on an impressive performance here and her American accent doesn't slip too much.

Overall, this is a really impressive film. Even if you can't get into the story or you don't like the acting, or even if you don't like the content, I don't think anyone can argue with how good the editing and cinematography involved in this film are.