Sucker Punch

Sucker Punch
Year: 2011
Director: Zack Snyder
Cast: Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, Vanessa Hudgens, Jamie Chung, Carla Gugino, Jon Hamm

In My Own Words
Before I go any further, I would just like to clarify a few things about what I write on here. I've lately had a few people become confused with what "In My Own Words" is about. First and foremost, Movie Critical is a movie review site, but what distinguishes Movie Critical from other websites is "In My Own Words". "In My Own Words" is exactly as the name suggests, a place where I can talk about whatever I want that has anything to do with the movie I am about to review. I may want to talk about the actors and what they do outside their acting roles, I may want to talk about the location of the film or I may want to talk about my personal experiences with the film.  It is not the review itself. The "Review" section is where I critically evaluate the film and I focus only on what is featured in the film. So Movie Critical is two things, it is an honest and personal opinion on anything I feel like talking about which has anything to do with the film I am reviewing and it is also a critical film review. I don't think it's the right thing to do to talk about such things as what goes in the cinema or what type of cinema I go to in a movie review, and it isn't right to talk about the actors personality or personal life in a review where you should only by talking about their performance in that movie.

Now that we've got that all cleared up, here is my review for a movie which I was really looking forward to, but.......

Review
"Sucker Punch". The film that is a public relations dream. If you haven't seen the anime styled posters with images of "Sucker Punch's" leading ladies in battle all over your city, you must have been living under a rock for the past month. An action film with entrancing computer generated images crossed with the theme of freedom against oppression with some of the hottest young female stars in Hollywood today. You would love to do the marketing for this movie as there is so much you could do and it opens the action genre up to another target audience of young females. So much marketing potential, so much potential as a film. A film that before it's release date was hailed to be Zack Snyder's "Inception". So what happenned? Both too much and not enough. "Sucker Punch" lacks in the areas that matter and has too much going on at the same time.The concept is great and it could have been a masterpiece, but Snyder has just got too caught up in what he could do rather than what he should do.
"Sucker Punch" opens with a music video like montage  of the recent events in Baby Doll's (Emily Browning) life involving the death of her mother and the accidental shooting of her younger sister which have landed her in Lennox Hall Institute for the Mentally Insane. Baby Doll overhears the head of the institution, Blue Jones (Oscar Isaac) tell her stepfather (Gerard Plunkett) that the High Roller will come in a few days to perform a lobotomy on her. She plans to escape from the institution before the High Roller comes and in doing so, creates an alternate battleground in her mind in a world where dragons, ogres and samuari giants fight with her and her fellow inmates Sweet Pea (Abbie Cornish), Rocket (Jena Malone), Amber (Jamie Chung) and Blondie (Vanessa Hudgens) to seek out their freedom.

"Sucker Punch" could have well been a cult classic. The visuals, the action sequences,  the soundtrack and the five " no nonsense" lead females have everything that a cult classic would. The first area that "Sucker Punch" fails in is the script. It contains several bouts of surrealism in which Baby Doll creates parallel universes in her mind. She imagines that the institution is a brothel and her and the other girls are it's star dancers and from here she imagines the battleground inside her head. On paper, the idea isn't so bad, but played out on the screen it just doesn't work. It can be downright confusing at times. Even when you finally get a grasp of what is going on, there is no real feeling of suspense or urgency. The jumping back and forwards between the universes in Baby Doll's mind makes the film seem uneven and too jumpy. There is no smooth flow at all through the film which makes it just feel like a big mess. Of course, the film does have it's impressive graphics and action sequences going for it. The most impressive being that of Baby Doll's first venture into her imaginary battleground where she arrives in a Japanese temple setting in the middle of a snowfall, which is really quite beautiful. The soundtrack of the film is also fitting to every scene.

As for the acting, weren't these girls supposed to be in an institution for the mentally insane? Yes, Baby Doll's mind transforms the institution into a brothel, but shouldn't these girls have more eccentric personalities either way? They just all seem a little too much like your average teenage girls, with the exception of the first scene when Baby Doll first arrives at the instituation and we see the theatre for what it really is. The characters would have definately been more interesting if they had contained some of the characteristics from the girls we had seen in the first seen. Otherwise, they really don't have much character at all. The only two actresses who give performances which are noteworthy are Abbie Cornish and Jena Malone, who play sisters Sweet Pea and Rocket. They don't go the full haul with their characters and take them to the limit so that you can really feel connected to them, but they still have more character than the others. Abbie Cornish could have been a bit stronger in the scenes where she is trying to show her power over Baby Doll, but in two particular scenes (which cannot be given away as they will spoil the film for those who want to see it) she is superb. Jena Malone is also very good in the role as the younger and somewhat positive sister. Emily Browning is just dull in her lead role. She does not change her facial expression throughout the whole film and it is confusing to see how such a weak character in personality could be such an influence to these other girls. Vanessa Hudgens doesn't do too badly in this film when you compare her to her "High School Musical" days. She certainly has grown up and has shown she can do more than sing and dance and can hold her own without Zac Efron on her arm. Yet, her character really doesn't have much to it and we really have no idea who Blondie is. The same can be said for Jamie Chung's character, who is Amber?

We could sit here and talk about what "Sucker Punch" could have been all day, but the fact is that it wasn't. It is flat and messy. Action fans may enjoy it for Baby Doll's war sequences and young teenage boys may enjoy it for seeing the girls in short skirts. One of the year's biggest disappointments, if not the biggest.
4/10

Limitless

Limitless
Year: 2011
Director: Neil Burger
Cast: Bradley Cooper, Abbie Cornish, Robert De Niro, Anna Freil

In My Own Words
Abbie Cornish is one of those actresses who I personally believe will be an Academy Award winner in the future. And I am not just saying that because she's Australian and I am Australian. Nor am I saying that based primarily on her latest role in "Limitless". Cornish won the AFI (the Australian equivalent of an Oscar) in 2004 for her breakthrough film role as Heidi in "Somersault", and she has recieved 4 AFI nominations. The roles she has undertaken are the calibre of those which are nominated for awards, but Cornish isn't afraid to lend herself to roles such as this one in "Limitless" or in the highly anticipated "Sucker Punch" which is released next month. Personally, I believe she was hard done by not recieving a Golden Globe or Oscar nomination for her role as Fanny Brawne in "Bright Star". She was just stunning in it and gave a heart breaking performance. However, it is a very competitive world out there, which goes without saying!

When you watch as many movies as what I do, you tend to take a bit more of an interest in the opening credits at the beginning of a film and then you tend to start remembering people's names who don't usually get as much recognition by the general public as actors or directors. One such name which I noticed coming up over and over again was the producer Ryan Kavanaugh. A executive producer is the figure who is involved in the overall production of the film and handles the business deals. The main reason why I first noticed Ryan Kavanaugh's name is really because my mother's maiden name is Kavanaugh, but then it kept turning up and I thought "Wow, this guy must be really successful and know what he is doing". So what does one do when you wonder about something? Get on the Google! Well, I felt like I should have known who Kavanaugh was before now. He is an entreprenaur of Hollywood, the owner of Relativity Media who has had an incredible rise. He hasn't been in the movie industry for very long, but his list of credits include" Nine", "Brothers", "Robin Hood"," The Fighter" and now "Limitless". Kavanaugh definately knows what he is doing and I would love to know his secret...as I am sure many people do! He is a powerhouse in the business world of Hollywood.

These are my own words and here is my review.

Review
The onslaught of Hollywood action films continues. "Limitless" may look like just another action thriller on the surface, but it does have something that not many other films of this genre have. Originality. It's unusual these days to see an action film with a storyline which doesn't feel like deja vu. "Limitless" is fresh and entertaining. Based on the novel "The Dark Fields" by Alan Glynn, "Limitless" is a different look at the danger of substance addiction. Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper) starts off the film as one might descibe as being a loser. He is a writer who has a book deal, but has not written a word and is therefore not earning a dollar. By chance, he bumps into his ex-brother in law, Vernon (Johnny Whitworth) who assures him that a pill which he gives him will fix all his problems. After Eddie takes this pill, he is able to absorb information quicker and his brain works at a higher level than the everyday person. Eddie quickly becomes addicted to this drug known as MDT and although the quality of his world increases dramatically, the danger and fight to stay alive begins.

What is so refreshing about "Limitless" is that it isn't a thriller based on the run from the guys who are after you (although parts of the film do lean towards that) or finding out who are the killers. It is a thriller about a fight against addiction, which is something that many people will be able to relate to. It is almost as if the film serves as a wake up call for some and contains some very real situations that individuals addicted to a substance may encounter such as not being able to pay people back for their addictions and facing financial difficulties with another party, and also the effect it has on your physical and mental health. Not to mention the effect it has on the relationships with those around you. The script is very clever, as one might imagine in a film where the lead characters intelligence increases and he obviously pretty smart things to say. However, the film itself is not as suspenseful at times as it is supposed to be. The reason for this is that it quickens pace and then slows down, and this happens several times throughout the film. There is suspense, and then there is a period in which it's intensity is lowered dramatically. This happens various times throughout the film and this is why the suspense is not consistently maintained, which is actually quite frustrating. The ending is also very anticlimatic and should have finished at least 10 minutes earlier. Yet, this does not destroy the film as it is still entertaining whether it is slow or suspenseful.

It is easy to see how Neil Burger would have had fun directing this film and the overall visual surface of the film is quite impressive. There are some great film sequences and visual effects used which are quite attractive and impressive to watch. Although some of the effects may make you suffer from motion sickness. "Limitless" is actually a good showcase of types of visual effects, cinematography and editing which are used in Hollywood action films today. New York City is definately put on show through the filming of this film as well and features heavily in the cinematography, along with the visual representation of Eddie's mind.

Bradley Cooper carries the film well. The best part of the film for him is the beginning where Eddie is rough and ragged and when he experiences his downfall in health and luck. He is so great in this part because it is completely different to the characters which he normally portrays in films. Sure he looks completely different, but you really feel sorry for him in the way which he carries himself and the sorriness in his eyes. Once he becomes the successful Eddie, it is much like any other Bradley Cooper role. Bradley Cooper does Bradley Cooper roles well so you can't really fault the performance. Abbie Cornish is charming as his girlfriend, Lindy and this is actually quite a different role for her. Her and Cooper do also have a great on screen chemistry, which really helps support the film. It is good to see Robert De Niro back on the big screen and he does wuite well in this role, as one would expect from him. He plays Eddie's business partner/boss, Carl Van Loon and he does definately come across as a character who you would love to have on your side, but would hate to have against you throughout the film. 

"Limitless" is one of the better action thrillers released this year. Neil Burger should be applauded for taking on a film which required a lot of originality and creativity to make it work on the screen and pulling it off. It is not often a book which has a story to it that one would normally think should be left as a book as it wouldn't work on screen, does really tell the story and tell it effectively. That really is something to be proud of and is the sign of a great director.
7.5/10

Bright Star

Bright Star
Year: 2009
Director: Jane Campion
Cast: Abbie Cornish, Ben Whishaw

In My Own Words
Let me just start of by saying how much I love this time of the year when it comes to movies. Not that I don’t love this time of the year for other reasons, but Boxing Day and New Years are great for new movies. I spent most of December looking forward to the 26th of December and the onslaught of new films being released on that day. This was one of the films that I had been looking forward to seeing.

My trip to the cinemas today to see this movie did not go as much to plan as I thought it would. Being a public holiday and a rainy day in Sydney town, everybody wanted to go to the movies. My local cinema would have had at least 10 sold out sessions today. I turned up to watch the 1:10pm session of “Bright Star”, only to find out it was full and I had to buy a ticket for the 4pm session, which eventually became sold out too.

I enjoyed “Bright Star” as much as I thought I would, which is always a pleasant finding. Abbie Cornish was absolutely delightful, which I was very happy about. It was quite a different role for her, as I have never seen her in a period piece before, but she pulled it off beautifully. The film was visually stunning, one I would definitely buy on DVD so I would be able to watch the most breath taking scenes again. I am also not ashamed to say, this is the only film I have seen this year that has had me in tears at the cinema.

These are my own words and here is my review.

Review
“Bright Star” is the highly anticipated period romance from celebrated director, Jane Campion. The film is extremely romantic and is nostalgic of the days of falling in love without the technology of mobile phones and the internet. It is the semi-biographical story of the romance between poet John Keats and Frances “Fanny” Brawne. Set in 1818, Fanny (Abbie Cornish) cares more about fashion than poetry, until poet John Keats (Ben Whishaw) and his business partner, Charles Brown (Paul Schneider) move in next door. They fall for each other, but it is a love affair plagued with class prejudice and sickness.

“Bright Star” is truly amazing. It is beautifully filmed and cast. Campion is in her element with a film such as this and this film shows how well she works with a project such as this. Everything about the film is stunning. However, the main criticism people will have of this film is that it is quite slow. It takes awhile to get to the point of the film, but there is a reason behind this slow pace. “Bright Star” exhibits fantastic story and character development. The audience is able to completely identify with the characters and feels like they know the characters personally, and this makes the slow pace of the film quite acceptable.

Abbie Cornish is amazing in this film as the young Fanny, who is first and foremost concerned with fashion and sewing until she meets Mr Keats. Her performance is amazing as it is extremely heart-felt and at times, tear jerking. It could well be her best role yet, although she was superb in “Somersault” and “Candy”. There were rumours that she may have been up for a Golden Globe nomination, but due to heavy competition this year, she was left out. However, there is always hope for an Oscar nomination for her. Ben Whishaw is far from bad as John Keats, but Cornish is definitely the star of the film. Both Cornish and Whishaw are brilliantly cast, as they work so well together on screen. The chemistry between the two is extremely believable and they are visually suited to being on screen together. Paul Schneider is also noteworthy as the unlikeable Charles Brown. The audience feels real hatred for the sarcasm and immaturity of his character.

The cinematography of “Bright Star” is superb. The images and the way in which they are filmed are visually stunning. The choice of shots and editing is spot on to show the importance of certain scenes and highlight the emotions that the characters feel. As one would expect with such a romantic film, there are some amazing visuals involving flowering meadows and butterflies that one should definitely watch out for. The costumes are always noteworthy, especially those which Fanny wears.

“Bright Star” is an amazing film on so many levels. As may be expected from it though, it is not a film that everyone will enjoy for its subject content and its pace. However, it is definitely one that should be seen in order to admire some amazing acting, cinematography and beautiful visuals.
8.5/10