Weeks 51-52

Introduction

And so here we are: my 23rd entry, the final two weeks of 2007, and the end of my quest! 2008 is just around the corner, meaning the imminent restarting of my quest. New-look entries will appear soon, but before that there'll be summaries of this year (back-dated to December 31st! Hurrah!). They'll appear in the next few days. Then it'll be a fresh start as it all begins again for 2008...


Weeks Fifty-One and Fifty-Two

After the emptiness of my last entry, I have actually watched some films this time. Three of them, in fact -- my final three films of the year! And one short too. And they were...


127) The Bourne Ultimatum (2007, Paul Greengrass, DVD) 4/5
This final installment in the action-thriller trilogy was recently announced as Empire magazine's film of the year, following wide praise on release that dubbed it the best action movie in a long time. Unfortunately, I fear it may've become a victim of its own hype. It's certainly a good film for many reasons: its appropriately unrelenting momentum, even in dialogue scenes; several stunning action sequences; a mostly decent plot. But it's also flawed: despite the globe-hopping, complex plot, it feels somehow slight; several villains and plot devices seem tacked on to create an over-arching plan for the trilogy, when Bourne had really dealt with all these matters in the first two. Ultimately, it simply didn't feel as entertaining as the first two installments, though I had an odd sense that I should be liking it more. Perhaps future re-viewings will aid my appreciation.

127a) Telling Lies (2001, Simon Ellis, DVD) 4/5
A simple idea, very well executed: as we listen to a series of phone conversations, the speakers' dialogue appears on screen... except instead of transcribing their exact words, it reveals their true thoughts. At only a few minutes long this doesn't out stay its welcome, instead maintaining the basic idea well and crafting a neat and amusing little story with it. Worth checking out if you have a chance. (Available on the DVD Cinema16: British Short Films.)

128) While You Were Sleeping (1995, Jon Turteltaub, TV) 4/5
I wound up accidentally watching this on TV, and was ultimately glad I did. If you've ever seen a '90s rom-com then the general shape of everything here will be familiar, though it does have a neat coma-related twist at its core. In spite of this predictability, and Sandra Bullock, I found it to be very enjoyable. It's not a laugh-out-loud comedy and it is (of course) heavy on the sentiment, but it does have a lovely Christmasness that is perfect for this time of year. It made me all nostalgic for the '90s -- they don't make 'em like this any more. I don't think. I don't really watch rom-coms... I can easily see myself tracking this down in time for next Christmas, and probably Christmasses after too.

129) Piglet's Big Movie (2003, Francis Glebas, TV) 3/5
I used to enjoy the Disney Winnie-the-Pooh series when I was younger. I also used to love the original books by A.A. Milne. In fact, I still enjoy the books -- they're witty, knowingly written, and often sweet. Sadly, Disney's interpretation seems to have faired less well. In this case it's largely down to the first half, where the mostly original storyline and weak & randomly inserted songs simply aren't up to scratch. However, things improve massively with a couple of fairly straight adaptations of Milne's original tales. Mildly amusing at times and with a positive (if predictable) message about friendship and self-worth, this would undoubtedly entertain young children -- which, to be fair, is its intended audience. While it initially seems to fall far short for older audiences, it turns out to be not all bad.