Every Sunday, Gill delves into his archive of over 800 movie reviews and randomly selects three for your enjoyment! Here are this week’s…
Final Destination 5
Considering this is the fifth instalment in a series where every movie has the word “final” in the title, I was actually surprised with how much I enjoyed this film. Don’t get me wrong – if you’ve seen a Final Destination movie before, then you’ve seen this one as well, as the plot is totally by-the-numbers and doesn’t stray from the formula of the previous movies at all. Where Final Destination 5 sets itself apart is in the ending, which I won’t spoil, since it’s the only interesting thing about the movie. I will say, however, that if the fifth movie in a series can still come up with a few surprises, then it at least deserves a little praise. This isn’t a great movie, but fans of the series will enjoy it, and it’s probably better than you would think.
3 out of 5
The Artist
The Artist is a very charming movie that makes good use of the gimmick of having very little diagetic audio. The acting suits the format, the jokes are smart and prove that you don’t need to result to pop culture references or vulgarity in order to create good humour, and a few clever touches (like George Valentin’s dream sequence where everything makes noise except for him) elevate The Artist above most sound movies. However, the film feels a bit confused as to what it wants to be. I was hoping for more creative uses of sound as the talkies take over the film industry as the plot progresses, but unfortunately the film doesn’t go in that direction. The Artist is one of those movies that doesn’t break any new ground, but does something old and familiar very, very well, and in that respect, I think it’s a quality movie – one you could watch with your whole family and enjoy. Also, the dog in this movie steals the show.
4 out of 5
The Help
Personally, I found this movie rather forgettable, and had trouble overlooking the fact that it’s yet another movie about the civil rights of a minority group where a white person has to step in and help said group. That stuff drives me nuts, which made it very difficult for me to review this movie objectively. Overall, I didn’t find The Help to be particularly remarkable. The acting, for the most part, is solid, although Bryce Dallas-Howard’s character is racist and villainous to such a degree as to seem unbelievable. Ultimately, the one thing that really stood out for me in The Help was the performance of Viola Davis, who fills her character with maturity, intelligence and dignity. If you want to watch this movie, then watch it for her.
3 out of 5
See you next Sunday for three more thrilling short reviews!