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Showing posts with label Kristen Stewart. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kristen Stewart. Show all posts

Monday 17 February 2014

"Adventureland". A Review Of The 2009 Film On BLU RAY.


Here is a link to Amazon Uk to buy the BLU RAY at the best price:


"…Summer In Pittsburgh! That’s Harsh!"

It’s Ronald Reagan’s 1987 and curly-haired college dweeb James Brennan (Jesse Eisenberg) is dumped by his girlfriend Arlene in Scene 1. Then his promised European Road Trip is kyboshed in Scene 2 by his downsizing parents who can’t afford new drapes let alone a graduation present. Then things get really nasty for our sensitive Renaissance student when he’s sentenced to work at the notorious cesspool that is the “Adventureland” Amusement Park in Pittsburgh (title above).

But during a brutally honest induction course from the bug-eyed Joel (great work from Martin Starr) James notices something well worth the pain of puking children and a childhood pest called Frigo who can’t seem to resist jokily kicking him in the privates at every opportunity. The eye-opener James clocks is the seemingly ordinary yet ethereally beautiful Em (Kristen Stewart) who is all Lou Reed and David Bowie teeshirts and smoky eyes and magical long hair. The kind of girl you want to make mix tapes for and even consider joining a gym. From the moment he meets the svelte Em poor James is a goner – hopelessly falling for the emotionally conflicted young woman no matter what extra-curricular crap she pulls on him.

Em’s biological mom has passed two years prior via a long and horrible battle with cancer and she’s left living with a Stepmom she despises (and vice versa) and a father who seems unable to fathom his daughter. Em is therefore feckless in her relationships and reluctant to commit to anything other than drinking and toking and hanging out after work – sappily accepting the occasional rumble in the kitchen with Mike the Rock 'n' Roll star of the Park (a cool and suave Ryan Reynolds). But James the nice guy persists despite customers who try to rob the Giant Pandas and the attention of the playground’s curvaceous babe Lisa P (the deeply sexy Margarita Levieva). Slowly but surely Em begins to see the merits of a nice guy who’s willing to take a few punches for her and equally not allow her to anyone’s punching bag. "You may be the cutest and coolest guy I've ever dated…" she finally admits in a clincher behind the arcades - making James want to go all Johnny Weissmuller and yodel from the trees.

The funniest parts go to Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig as the odd couple Bobby and Paulette who run the rip-off-for-all-the-family rides and games with a baseball bat and motivational speeches about horse races. Also like Cameron Crowe's wonderful "Elizabethtown" - "Adventureland" has a gargantuan soundtrack – featuring a cool tune from all periods in almost every scene. Lou Reed, The Cure, Big Star, The Replacements, The Rolling Stones, Nick Lowe and Crowded House – to name but a few - the list of appropriate choices is legion and they’re used well (as James watches Em drive – you can see him falling in love as Lou Reed’s lyrics echo his aching for her).

The Blu Ray pictured is defaulted to 16 x9/1.85:1 so its fills the entire screen but because a large amount of the scenes take place at night and in people’s homes – those shots can have some grain and fuzziness. But once outside during the day – and even on some of the indoor restaurant and bar shots - the picture quality is glorious. Audio is DTS 5.1 HD English, DTS 5.1 Italian and Spanish, and Dolby 2.0 Described English. Subtitles come in English, English For The Hearing impaired, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Hindi.

Extras exclusive to BLU RAY are:
1. Frigo’s Tips – A Satiric "How To On Inflicting Unexpected Pain"
2.  Lisa P’s Guide To Style
3. Welcome To Adventureland – Adventureland Commercials, Orientation Training Video and Drug Policy
Other Extras:
1. Deleted Scenes
2. Just My Life: The Making Of Adventureland
3. Feature Commentary with Writer/Director Greg Mottola and Actor Jesse Eisenberg 

"Most people have low standards – I guess I'm different…" James explains to his mates as to why he’s holding out on his virginity (only wanting to lose it to someone special). You can’t help but feel that something special is going on in Greg Mottola’s lovely and funny "Adventureland" (he also Directed the equally witty and touching "Superbad", "Paul" and some episodes of "The Newsroom" Season 1).

Take a ride on this cool rollercoaster. You’ll feel like a kid on the dodgems again - laughing and wanting to go back for more…

 


Wednesday 7 March 2012

“Welcome to The Rileys” on DVD. A Review Of The 2011 Film.


"…He's So Old School…"

Kristen Stewart will of course get the lion's share of publicity on this one as a prostitute that's one step away from oblivion (she actually deserves the hype that surrounds her) - but for me it's the combo of James Gandolfini and Melissa Leo who are astonishing.

Directed by Jake Scott and Executive Produced by his famous relations Tony and Ridley of Scott Free Productions - 2010's "Welcome To The Rileys" is a small independent movie with a big heart and even bigger performances.

Doug Riley is on autopilot - playing out his joyless poker games on Thursday night with the boys - sleeping with Vivienne the waitress in the local diner - not sleeping with Lois his wife of 30 years. But there's a reason for his wife's frigidity and her desperately lonely pill taking - not to mention Doug's quiet sobbing in the garage with a cigarette in the dark. Both Doug and Lois lost their 15-year old daughter Emily in an avoidable car accident in 2001 - and with unspoken hurt and unallocated blame - have been escalating damaged goods ever since. But when Vivien his diner-lover of 4 years dies (a subtle performance by Eisa Davis) and Doug goes on a business holiday to New Orleans - he gets more than he bargained for when he goes upstairs with a 17-year old pole dancer and hooker. And this is where the real story begins...

The acting in "Welcome To The Rileys" is top class and goes a long to forgiving the largely terrible picture quality (a lot of night shots with little or no clarity). First up is a magnificent turn by Gandolfini. In what could have been such a pervy role, he lends his big-bruiser Doug a good-man's gravitas that is wholly believable. Melissa Leo gets the toughest role - and she eats it up with a performance that keeps you glued. And then there's the talented and beautiful Kristen - her jumpy malnourished creation is all spotty skin, blurred eye shadow and bruised limbs. Mallory has been dumped on all of her life - and her street-fighting cornered-rat mistrust of everything takes some breaking through. But Doug is determined - and so is his wife - who comes after Doug and has to make some major life-adjustments herself. All three have been rightly applauded for their work in this...

Ok - "Welcome To The Rileys" is perhaps a little implausible at times - but the writing and the storytelling will slowburn their way into your heart. And it has an ending that isn't pat - despite the huge pressure there must have been on Jake Scott to deliver just that - happy families all the way...

A bit of an overlooked gem frankly. I liked this film a lot.

Put it high on your rental list.

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