No, it's not a sequel to Johnny Knoxville's Bad Grandpa; instead we're in the company of a foul-mouthed grandpa in the form of Robert De Niro, an all-too-sensible Zac Efron, and a rather scantily-clad Aubrey Plaza. This is Dirty Grandpa. It already sounds like a win-win situation for everyone, but wait until you see the trailer for the film... Check out the synopsis for the film and then watch in shock as De Niro has a whale of a time as a grandpa with a whole new lease of life... Synopsis: Jason Kelly [Zac Efron] is one week away from marrying his boss’s
uber-controlling daughter, putting him on the fast track for a
partnership at the law firm. However, when the straight-laced Jason
is tricked into driving his foul-mouthed grandfather, Dick [Robert De
Niro], to Daytona for spring break, his pending nuptials are suddenly in
jeopardy. Between riotous frat parties, bar fights, and an epic night
of karaoke, Dick is on a quest to live his
life to the fullest and bring Jason along for the ride. Ultimately, on
the wildest journey of their lives, “dirty” Grandpa and his uptight
grandson discover they can learn from one another and form the bond they
never had.
As we edge closer to the end of yet another year in cinema, 2012 is proving to be one hell of a ride for films. As is accustomed for this period of a year, the Oscar contenders are unveiling themselves thick and fast, and one that I would certainly put money on is David O. Russell's Silver Linings Playbook. Pat (Bradley Cooper) is a man whose life you could say is starting over. Having been recently released from a mental institute following a eight month stint, the bi-polar sufferer heads back home to reside with his parents (Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver) in order to remain stable. The problem for Pat is that he is still insistent that he will reunite with his wife, whom has put a restraining order against him following the revelation that she was having an affair. After meeting with the sister of a family friend, Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), an equally unhinged and judged individual, Pat strikes up a rather dysfunctional yet blossoming relationship with her and soon the pair collaborate to aid one another's needs. As Pat seeks to regain the love of his wife, Tiffany's feelings for him grow stronger, but will Pat's 'silver lining' theory be proved true?
Silver Linings Playbook is a film of sheer brilliance that captivates from start to finish. David O. Russell continues his fine form from his previous Oscar banking chip The Fighter to bring to us yet another endearing and compelling drama. Bringing together a dysfunctional family and two hugely engaging central characters, the director creates a film that, despite being far from genre-specific, is a joy to behold and oozes realism and ultimately captivates. In Cooper and Lawrence, the film possesses two whirlwind talents, and their performances are surely to be commended with Oscar nods. On one side Cooper copes brilliantly with tackling a bi-polar sufferer, awkward in conversing with others, unaware of his errors and intent on particular things in life. Lawrence, on the flip side, provides the standout turn as she breezes through with a performance that is a stamp of authority on her versatility as an actress, flipping a switch from seemingly controlled to outright unpredictably broken. The actress is going from strength to strength and I think it's fair to say this is her best showing to date. Both acts create characters that you will want to invest time in and many will find themselves drawn in by individuals who are hard not to care for. Add into the fray a superb OCD father portrayal from the return to form Robert De Niro, as well as superb support from Jacki Weaver, Chris Tucker and John Ortiz, and Silver Linings is a delight of a film. Russell has created a visionary piece of work that combines real-life issues, love, drama and comedy and comes out with the formula for success. Lawrence is groundbreaking, Cooper is exceptional, Russell's direction is nothing short of sublime and Silver Linings Playbook enters the Oscar race at the top of the tree. Rating: 4.5 F's out of 5
That's right people, once again Jason Statham is back for yet another action movie, this time along with Robert De Niro and Clive Owen. Check out my review for Killer Elite below.
Based on the controversial book by Ranulph Fiennes, Killer Elite sees us following Danny Bryce (Statham) and hunter (De Niro), experienced mercenaries not to be messed with. When a routine hit on a Mexican leader ends with a child being involved Danny decides it is time to go straight and retires to Australia.
Unfortunately his settled life is short lived when he receives a package stating that Hunter has been kidnapped and being held in Oman by a sheikh. jetting off to save his lifelong friend, Danny is soon tasked with a mission in order to secure the safe release of his closest partner. The mission, to avenge the death of the sheikh's three sons and kill the SAS men who murdered them, with no evident trace that they have been killed. In addition, the sheikh wants a recorded message of all three men admitting to the murders, a task that will not be easy.
Heading to England, Danny attempts to track down the SAS personnel with help from some close friends but soon attracts the attention of a group named 'The Feather Men', one of those who is Spike (Owen), a retired SAS soldier who 'still believes he is a soldier'. With this mentality he becomes a thorn in the side of Danny and a cat-and-mouse game ensues between the two.
Killer Elite showed promise in its trailer and with the leading talent consisting of three highly regarded actors the formula looked all well and good. Unfortunately the high octane action failed to go beyond a few loud gunshots and explosions, and a rather mediocre fight between Statham and Owen. Plot-wise, being based on real life it worked fairly well but with some unnecessary twists and turns along the way it did at times become a little baffling.
For a film that showed promise Killer Elite was a bitter disappointment and I think it is fair to say that our leads won't be holding this film in such high regard compared to some of their previous efforts in the action thriller bracket.
