Synecdoche New York

Synecdoche New York

Having noticed this being recommended in the genre of films which attempt to assess societal mechanisms and how people live out their lives, I decided to watch this. With Philip Seymour Hoffman in the lead role, you know you'll be getting an intense performance regardless of what the role actually entails.

Sadly, his performance here was more akin to that of 25th Hour, wherein he plays a socially awkward creep. Here he plays a theatre director whose wish is to recreate the feel of the societal elements observed in New York City. He believes that the environment serves as a commentary of the world's societies put together, and that he is able to replicate the everyday lives of the everyday man in his own manufactured reconstruction of the world.

For a film which lasts just over two hours, I need to be grabbed by it within the first ten minutes. Unfortunately I was never 'grabbed' at any point, bar one particular suicide scene which was reminiscent of many 'realism' scenes featured within cinema. The character realises that he has made little impact on the world, and that every effort he has made to be with the one he loves has been fruitless. Barring this moment, the film is essentially bland, with scenes of no worth being played out and wasting too much time. Of course films can't be made up of purely masterpiece moments, but Synecdoche seemed to lack any.

If I have missed any moments of genius in this film, or have missed supposed messages, I am all ears. However, it feels like it was genuinely two hours of my life wasted.

5/10

Paranormal Activity 2

A prequel (and effectively a sequel) to the successful low-budget film of 2009, Paranormal Activity 2 takes us into the footsteps of the Kristi Rey, husband Dan, Step-daughter Ali, newborn son Hunter and the family dog Abby.

Whilst the film takes place before the events of the first film, the scenes are largely similar though take place all around the house, and are not limited to the bedroom as in the first film. Whilst this certainly allows more creative licence in how the scares are generated, it perhaps makes it too easy to use jump scares. Whilst this is a director's ideal route, by focussing on mostly pitch-black scenes to create the scares, the first film comes across as more original and more deserving of its plaudits.

As the films progresses, the 'paranormal activity' increases both in frequency and levels of hostility, from the pool cleaner moving by itself to Kristi being launched across the house. It certainly ups the entertainment value but one can't help but feel the over the top nature of these events drags the film into becoming a farce instead of gradually taking things to the next level in more subtle fashion.

Both leads from the first also make an appearance, something of a strange occurrence for the audience who somehow clearly missed the disclaimer stating that the sequel was 'filmed' two months before Michah's death from the first film. Bizarrely, audience members were unable to digest this information.

Their involvement seems to be simply to provide a sense of familiarity to the piece, and reassurance for the Reys, who are slowly being tormented and seeking any help they can get to rid the house of its anomalies.

Taking the film to the next level, the latter stages are reminiscent of [REC] and its sequel in the manner of providing nightvision handycam footage in a claustrophobic basement, the location chosen as the hotbed of the house's paranormal activity. An action-packed finale sees a familiar face return and introduces another element of the horror genre, though personally I felt it was a rather unncessary jaunt into the realms of the absolutely farcical and another case of directors not being satisfied with a soft ending.

Whilst the sequel (or prequel) provides enough scares to keep everyone happy, and it certainly does most things right, it often feels like it's trying to hard to emulate the first film. Whilst this isn't necessarily a bad thing, the manner of the finale sadly destroys what could have been a wonderfully enigmatic finish to a well-executed follow-up.

7/10

The Godfather Part II

Following on from the masterpiece that was The Godfather Part I, Francis Ford Coppola continues the trilogy with Part II, yet another gem from the 1970s, a decade which saw liberalism break through into mainstream cinema, introducing the gun culture that has epitomised Hollywood, and with it came a hauntingly magical period of cinema.

We follow Robert De Niro as young Vito in the early 1900s, as he breaks into the world of the mafia, toppling the region's warlord and making himself a Don in the process. Coppolla also brings us a taste of Michael Corleone as he attempts to reassert himself as the dominate mafia boss in 1958, a period during which hostile negotiations and widespread tensions threaten to tear apart the entire landscape.

On first appearance, De Niro finds himself in a difficult position, having to somehow dominate the role made famous by Marlon Brando. A brutish, resilient, well-respected and dominant individual, the role of Vito 'Don' Corleone is a role few men in Hollywood could have reprised with such energy, presence, charisma and sheer brilliance. De Niro, naturally exceeds all expectations and delivers one of the performances of his career (arguably bettered in Goodfellas as Jimmy Conway).

In Michael Corleone, Al Pacino finds a role which allows him the freedom of the camera, the freedom of the 'stage', and with ease he manages to create a monster in young 'Mikey'. As he negotiates behind allies' backs, and tries to find out who the traitor in his family is, the anguish, frustration and emotions are clear for the audience to see. Pacino's ability to appear as the calm before the storm, characters who could snap the very next second and yet demonstrate no visible emotion makes him one of the finest actors of his generation. His performance as Tony Montana in Scarface for years prior demonstrated his brilliance in such a role, one where power literally drove him to an early death. However, as Master Corleone, it is his sole duty to carry the integrity and history of his family on his young shoulders. It is his sheer presence in every scene, and the manner in which he asserts his prowess and psychological dominance which makes him the star of the piece, and without him at the forefront, one would have to question whether the film would really be as magnificent.

9/10

CSI

CSI: The Twilight Years

The day Warrick Brown died marked a radical shift and elemental realisation within the CSI fanbase. With Warrick’s death, Grissom’s character had been shocked to the very core, with Warrick’s true feelings for him surfacing towards the very end of his short life. As with the death in any television drama, in CSI it meant drastic changes were afoot.

When Gil Grissom left the show in Season 9, he left behind him a legacy that will not be re-envisaged. In his wake, Ray Langston, Psychology lecturer stepped in – albeit as a rookie investigator – in an attempt to give the show the burst of energy and fill the gaping hole that Grissom’s departure inflicted.

With the CSI producers fully aware of the uncertain nature of Langston’s character – both reasonably unpopular and also a rogue figure in general – they decided to squeeze as much from the newbie as possible, turning him into a would-be killer for a whodunit storyline at the end of season 10. Whilst the story arc was well executed, with no one truly knowing whether Langston was capable of such behaviour, the show is once again left with a character with whom no one really shares a rapport, a figure with a wealth of knowledge within the psychological field (exploited during his introduction to the programme and to the CSI team) but one who will never be tightly-knitted within the team as a known entity, and for that the show suffers.

The other problem with CSI as it is now, likely entering its final season, is that no one cares about the Lab Rats (as they are fondly referred to). Wendy, Hodges, Mandy and Henry all star as the lab technicians, character who give out the odd line of dialogue in the early seasons, nothing more. However, with the death of Warrick, and the depature of Grissom, more of an emphasis has been placed of stretching out the relationships between these characters in a bid to add depth and back story to the programme. Sadly, they lack character, charisma, any sense of personality and really add nothing to a show which primarily used to focus on being ‘out in the field’ or interrogating suspects. Whilst providing insight the lab rats’ lives may have seemed a good idea at the time, it does nothing but take valuable screen time away from the real cast members, and gives too much air time to the dank, bland and grey landscape that is the labs.

As this heavyweight drama series nears its final moments, it is more important to glance back over its impressive eleven seasons and admire the various stellar performances which brought the show so much success and huge audience ratings (it has been named the most watched television show in the world during its time on the air), than to ponder its demise. Whilst rumours suggest a film is in the pipeline, one can only hope that the show goes out with a bang and, if only one more time, Grissom is allowed one final appearance, to bid farewell to the programme he made, as well as the programme which made him.

Jersey Shore

Tired of the same old reality shows bloating the television listings? Sick and tired of daily shows edited to the high heavens, choosing select moments from hours of dull footage to extrapolate some kind of drama?

Jersey Shore burst onto the US television scene in 2009, and has taken the world by storm. Set on the Jersey Shore, in New Jersy, New York, the show follows the lives of eight 'guidos' as they try to have the time of their lives on the world famous 'Shore, renowned for its ultra-trendy night clubs and bars, its excessive binge culture, and its complete lack of self-dignity. Sounds like the perfect combination for a fly-on-the-wall reality TV show, right?


It is.

Starring Vinny, Angelina, JWoww, Snooki, Sammi, Pauly D, Ronnie and The Situation (yes, that's his name..albeit his nickname), Jersey Shore is an amalgamation of all that is wrong (and so so right) about trashy American reality programming. Night after night of fighting, drinking and smushing (having sex) leads to high tensions within the household and drama is found around every corner. Season 1 featured a Jersey Shore beach house, whilst Season 2 was based in South Beach, Miami. Thankfully both locations produced plenty of fireworks, though Jersey was notable for its non-stop fighting, must have been something in the water...

If you want brainless, highly amusing guilty pleasure television viewing, then look no further. Like I said...leave your brain at home.