OSS 117 - Lost In Rio (out 12 April 10, Cert. 15) Jean Dujardin, Louise Monot, Pierre Bellemare, Reem Kherici, Ken Samuels, Alex Lutz, dir. Michel Hazanavicius,
2009, cert. 15, in French with subtitles
MonkeyScore: 85% 
Suave, sophisticated and utterly clueless
French spy Hubert Bonisseur de la Bath (Jean Dujardin) is sent to recover a microfilm from a former high-ranking Nazi, containing an embarrassing list of French collaborators. In Rio he joins forces with Mossad agent Dolores, hot on the trail of underground Nazis to bring them to
justice. Armed with an arsenal of weapons including classic good looks,
matchless charm and unrivalled stupidity, OSS 117 is the man to call
when villains need to be found, peace needs to be brokered and women
seduced. 
Move over Austin Powers! Filmed with the precise attention to costumes and decors you would expect from a period drama this spy spoof is one of the funniest films we've seen on DVD this year. Lead actor Jean Dujardin is somewhat of a star in France, having made his mark in cult TV series Les Deschiens (a kind of Royle Family high on camembert & baguettes.) The OSS 117 character is based on a series of French spy films from the 60s, and Lost In Rio is actually the 2nd OSS film by Dujardin & co. While you may well rush to get your hands on the 1st installment, Cairo Nest of Spies - we did!-, you need not know anything about previous OSS movies old or new to enjoy this film. OSS 117 Lost In Rio is an absolute gem - hilarious throughout, and beautifully shot to boot! Not to be missed.
|
|
Law Abiding Citizen (out 12 April 10, Cert. 15) Gerard Butler, Jamie Foxx, Bruce McGill, Colm Meaney, Lesley Bibb, Gregory Itzin, Christian Stolte, dir. F. Gary Gray,
2009, cert. 15
MonkeyScore: 70% The wife and daughter of Clyde Shelton (Gerard Butler) are brutally murdered during a home invasion. The killers are
caught, with young prosecutor Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx) assigned to the case. Rice is made
to offer one of the suspects a light sentence in exchange for
testifying against his accomplice. Ten years later, the man who got away with the murders is found dead on Shelton's property. Shelton is arrested, and issues an ultimatum to Rice: fix the flawed justice system,
or key players in the trial will die.
Law Abiding Citizen feels a bit schizophrenic at times, shifting from vengeance flick to "let's make a point about this corrupt system" - without fully doing justice to either. It's a shame as both Gerard Butler and Jamie Foxx give excellent performances. Still, Law Abiding Citizen exudes energy and drive, and boasts such strong characters that it is difficult to choose sides. Butler's Clyde Shelton is particularly successful, with attitude a-plenty and the required glint of madness in the eye. His brutal determination, matched only by Jamie Foxx's character, make Law Abiding Citizen an exciting and entertaining film - perfect Friday night fodder.
Dolan's Cadillac (out 12 April 10, Cert. 15) Christian Slater, Wes Bentley, Emmanuelle Vaugier, Dir. Jeff Beesley,
2009, cert. 15 MonkeyScore: 65% Elizabeth
(Emmanuelle Vaugier) decides to testify against Jimmy Dolan (Christian
Slater) after witnessing a murder in the desert outside Las Vegas,
despite the risks. Indeed, Dolan has her murdered before the trial,
leaving husband Robinson (Wes Bentley) heart-broken. As law enforcement
forces seem unable to put the mobster away, Robinson starts cooking up
an elaborate revenge. Based on a Stephen King short story, Dolan's
Cadillac retains a very King-ish quality throughout, with a
slowly-built plan that comes into place at the very end. The manner of
Dolan's discomfiture is as claustrophobic as you would expect from the
master who brought us The Shining, but while faithful to the original
material the script does not always act in the best interest of the
picture. Still Dolan's Cadillac is better than most straight to video
films. Slater is as sleezy and creepy as can be, perfectly cast in the
title role, but Bentley's Robinson is somewhat less of a success as the
sixth-grade teacher turned vengeful widower. Definitely worth watching, though, if only for one of the most satisfying deaths by car to be committed to film. While
a decent and enjoyable Stephen King adaptation, Dolan's Cadillac fails
to exploit the cinematic potential of the story fully.
|
|
Law & Order - The Seventh Year (out 12 April 10, Cert. 15) Jerry
Orbach, Benjamin Bratt, S. Epatha Merkerson, Sam Waterston, Carey
Lowell, Steve Hill - originally broadcast in the U.S. from September 96
to May 97 MonkeyScore: 77% Episodes
list: Causa Mortis, ID, Good Girl, Survivor, Corruption, Double Blind,
Deadbeat, Family Business, Entrapment, Legacy, Menace, Barter,
Matrimony, Working Mom, D-Girl (1), Turnaround (2), Showtime (3), Mad
Dog, Double Down, We Like Mike, Passion, Past Imperfect, Terminal
Police detectives Lennie Briscoe (Jerry Orbach), Rey Curtis
(Bemjamin Bratt) are working cases with Lieutenant Anita Van Buren (S.
Epatha Merkerson) in their New York precinct. The cases are then
prosecuted team by the District Attorney Adam Schiff (Steve Hill) and
his team of prosecutors led by Executive A.D.A. Jack McCoy (Sam
Waterston) and A.D.A. Jamie Ross (Carey Lowell.)
As The Seventh Year hits the shops the show is actually running with
its 20th season, so the episodes contained in this set have been
regular cable repeats for some time. Still this set is well worth
getting your hands on to. While the episodes tend to be self-contained
stories that do not require previous knowledge of the characters, there
are a few running threads, too, centred on the police and D.A. teams.
The Seventh Year sees Carey Lowell making her debut as A.D.A. Jamie
Ross. She takes over from Claire Kincaid (Jill Hennessy), Jack McCoy's
previous assistant, who was killed at the end of season 6. McCoy,
played by veteran Law & Order star Sam Waterston, is having
difficulty dealing with her death and as the A.D.A. characters are very
different it makes for an interesting new dynamic to watch develop over
the course of the season. The Orbach / Bratt police duo is in its
second year, and the two actors have developed a strong chemistry,
too. Well
worth getting your hands on to if you've ever watched the series,
particularly to watch Jack McCoy's character develop and build la
working relationship with his new A.D.A.
For summaries of all of The Seventh Year episodes, head to our L&O Special - we've added details of special guests and links to the real cases that inspired the writers!
The Big I Am (out 12 April 10, Cert. 18)
Leo Gregory, Vincent Regan, Michael Madsen, Robert Fucilla, Steven Berkoff, dir. Nic Auerbach, 2009, cert. 18
MonkeyScore: 41% Small time hoodie Mickey Skinner (Leo Gregory) steals a car to escape being nicked, only to find Don Barber (Vincent Regan) in the boot. The head of the London underworld was close to being disposed of by a disgruntled competitor when Mickey inadvertently rescued him. He has no idea who sold him off and can trust no-one in his organisation, so when taken into custody for 24 hours he hands over the reins to hapless Mickey.
Attempting a great British gangster flick is always a treacherous task that many have failed to complete to satisfaction. Failing to engage viewers is the least of The Big I Am crimes. On the "plus" side: the premise is an interesting one, and both leads are doing their best with the material given to them. On the other hand the story lines make little sense, the plot points are signposted from a mile off and most characters are ineffectual, broad caricatures. A bit more attention to the script could have gone a long way, and made The Big I Am watchable. There's all the violence and swearing you would expect, but while mildly entertaining the result is so disjointed and pointless that you're unlikely to care. Best to leave this one until it works its way to cable TV.
|
