First off: If you've never heard of this film then I am not surprised. It's got some great actors (Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck) and a successful director (Ridley Scott). This film was released with very little advertisement both in and out of theatres. Even when it was released it was only shown in a select few cinemas. This treatment towards a film can either be a good thing or bad thing towards the industry. On the one hand, you don't have cinemas being forced to spend money on films which just won't give them revenue though on the other hand, the small indie films/small budget movies find it hard to get a shoe in.
The movie follows the story of wild west outlaw Jesse James (Pitt) and the few days before his assassination by fellow gang member Robert Ford (Affleck). The movie spans several heists, in which the audience observes the development of Robert Ford's criminal mind - A character who from the beginning is portrayed as a simple, child-like 19 year old is transformed into a cold-hearted yet still naïve killer. As for Jesse James, the audience really is shown how fear can affect a man.
In all honesty wild west films generally bore the crap out of me, no doubt about that though this film was different. The only westerns I've watched were the ones that regularly play on BBC 2 and last for about 3 years each. The Assassination runs smoothly thanks to a brilliant narrative which keeps the viewer interested and the story clear.
Technically, this film is also a treat. For those who enjoy interesting shots and such, this movie can really provide and suffice. There are many though one shot I really like was an establishing shot which occurs near the beginning of the film where Jesse and the gang are embarking on a train heist. Shots like these help compliment the setting and environment the film is based upon.
The only aspect which detracts appeal from the film is the running time. The film lasts a hefty 2 hours 40 which in anybodys book is a large amount of time to be sitting in front of the screen. Having said that, due to the ease of the storyline and continuous quality of acting and production it feels as though nothing has been left out nor too dragged out.
A definite watch... go now... run!
Josh.
Thursday, 29 May 2008
Wednesday, 28 May 2008
A Time for Justice
First off - this post is not going to be about the subject of Justice: sorry to let you down folks. No, it is in face about the french DJ duo Justice. They have just recently released their 2nd single "DVNO" so you may have heard of them. They'd released one mid-last year called "D.A.N.C.E" which was quite underplayed.
I picked up their album "Cross" a couple of weeks ago just out of interest: a friend had played me a couple of tracks which at first I wasn't crazy about but possessed enough interest to want to hear a bit more. What with iTunes and other mp3 gubbins it has never been easier to select specific tracks with out having to skip through teams of tracks in between the ones you've heard and like. Usually this would be what I would do with albums though I decided to give this one a chance. This was definitely the right move I must point out: the album flows incredibly well and i thoroughly enjoyed 11 out of the 12 tracks provided. They're very Daft Punk (So much so that there have been allegations made by fans that it is actually Daft Punk using others as front-men.) but not so much so that it feels like a copy: really defining sounds. It's a club-esque disco sound with techno kicking around as well but not so much that you feel like you're in a trashy club in Ibiza or listening to that Castles in the Sky track. Maybe if Reading did Ibiza, not DJ Scooter.
Another aspect of Justice which inspired me is both the band name and title/content of the album. With a name like Justice and an album entitled Cross I've had a few people ask whether they're Christians. There is nothing to say that they're not though the signs point closer to yes. It could be some big ruse to try and get many people on-board as possible but hey, if it is then thats on their own backs: if they are then we can jam together in heaven, if not then that's their lookout.
My Album of the year? Yes I would definitely think so! I'd recommend it to anyone. The music blends of simple yet strong drum beats and the epic synthesizers is a treat to the ears: get it!
I picked up their album "Cross" a couple of weeks ago just out of interest: a friend had played me a couple of tracks which at first I wasn't crazy about but possessed enough interest to want to hear a bit more. What with iTunes and other mp3 gubbins it has never been easier to select specific tracks with out having to skip through teams of tracks in between the ones you've heard and like. Usually this would be what I would do with albums though I decided to give this one a chance. This was definitely the right move I must point out: the album flows incredibly well and i thoroughly enjoyed 11 out of the 12 tracks provided. They're very Daft Punk (So much so that there have been allegations made by fans that it is actually Daft Punk using others as front-men.) but not so much so that it feels like a copy: really defining sounds. It's a club-esque disco sound with techno kicking around as well but not so much that you feel like you're in a trashy club in Ibiza or listening to that Castles in the Sky track. Maybe if Reading did Ibiza, not DJ Scooter.
Another aspect of Justice which inspired me is both the band name and title/content of the album. With a name like Justice and an album entitled Cross I've had a few people ask whether they're Christians. There is nothing to say that they're not though the signs point closer to yes. It could be some big ruse to try and get many people on-board as possible but hey, if it is then thats on their own backs: if they are then we can jam together in heaven, if not then that's their lookout.
My Album of the year? Yes I would definitely think so! I'd recommend it to anyone. The music blends of simple yet strong drum beats and the epic synthesizers is a treat to the ears: get it!
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