Direção: Neil Marshall

Roteiro: Neil Marshall

Elenco: Rhona Mitra, Bob Hoskins, Alexander Siddig, MyAnna Buring, Craig Conway

O desapontamento com essa filme é enorme, já que nos primeiros 30 minutos a atmosfera criada e a seqüência com cenas rápidas e cortes secos da um clima bacana. Mas depois disso o filme descamba pra uma versão anos 2000 de "Mad Max" e "Fuga de Nova York" e "Fuga de Los Angeles", só que de uma forma tosca. Um grupo com aspecto de punk de boutique fazendo tumulto e uma outra galera com trajes medievais e morando em um castelo dão o tom ridículo aos filme.

A direção e o roteiro foram de Neil Marshall, que dessa vez não conseguir fazer um bom trabalho, além de uma história lotada de furos. Tudo bem que não é possível se ater sempre a realidade nos filmes, mas esse esquece um detalhe básico que existe em "Mad Max" e nos "Fugas", uma civilização abandonada e sem produção não tem suprimentos, energia elétrica ou outros luxos, mas aqui temos tudo isso e de forma abastada.

A história começa nos tempos atuais, quando um vírus se espalha e mata uma galera na região de Glasgow na Escócia. O governo Britânico decide isolar a Escócia e faz um muro no estilo do Muro de Adriano. Passados mais de 20 anos, o vírus volta atacar a ilha, agora no centro de Londres e o governo decide enviar um grupo de elite para procurar uma cura entre os sobreviventes.

Até ai o filme vai bem, mas depois disso surgem os punks de boutique e a pauladas matam quase todo o time do governo. Os sobreviventes, liderados pela Major Sinclais (Rhona Mitra), depois de um certo tumulto conseguem fugir e contando com a ajuda de Cally (MyAnna Buring), uma sobrevivente do vírus, vão atrás do Doutor Keane (Malcom McDowell), o médico que investigava a cura para o vírus. Eles sobem meia Escócia e quando chegam a uma floresta são interceptados por cavaleiros medievais, que pertencem ao grupo do Doutor Keane. No castelo tudo lembra a Idade Média, as roupas, os duelos e a ignorância. Depois de mais um tumulto o grupo da Major Sinclair foge e segue rumo para o muro, mas no caminho vão trombar com os punks de boutique e promover mais um tumulto, que é descaradamente copiado de Mad Max.

Quando você pensa que acabou o filme te premia com uns 20 minutos de nada, umas sequências idiotas e que nada acrescenta.

"Juízo Final" não presta, é uma cópia de mal gosto de outros filmes.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0483607/

This review contains minor spoilers

This film was a veritable potpourri of geek film staples all mashed into one. It couldn't really decide what kind of film it was - was it a "28 days later" virus/quarantine movie? How about a "Mad Max" road survival film? Maybe it was a sweeping landscape and bow and arrow "Lord of the Rings" style plot? It was even equal bits "Gladiator" and "The Transporter", starring a not-quite-Kate Beckinsale. Watching this movie was like reading Stephen King's Dark Tower series but without any of the awesome. It felt sort of like it was written by a less intelligent Chuck Klosterman with a beheading fetish.

There wasn't much good about this movie since the few cool things can be seen much better in all of the films this one seems to emulate. I'm not saying it was horrible since I never really had the urge to stop watching (okay, maybe just once but it was near the end anyways so I wasn't very serious), but in no way was this a decent movie. The one redeemable point I think would be the acting which made the film watchable. I enjoyed almost all of the cast throughout the entire film, even miss not-quite-Kate - riduculously stupid bionic eye aside.

It was actually surprisingly above average acting considering how mediocre the rest of the film was. And there is probably people who enjoy the jarring transitions from one fantasy/sci-fi setting to the next so in that way the acting may push this into a quite enjoyable film for those people. I'm not one of those people, and the many film inspirations for writer/director Neil Marshall was not the films major fault. That honour falls on Marshall himself. I don't really want to rail on the guy since he's doing what he loves - I don't enjoy it, but he seems to so that's cool, but the writing was pretty bad, and the direction was even worse.

Even the cinematography - which is turning into my auto-enjoyment lately - was nothing but overused and cliche shots with nothing interesting about them. So I didn't really enjoy this movie, the cast was good (and not horrible to look at) but the film was not very good so I wouldn't recommend watching it, unless there isn't much else and you want some mindless violence - but if that's the case there is plenty of better mindless violence films around.

I'm not going to list the tagline to this movie because it gives the main plot twist away... so don't look it up if you like to be confused and enjoy trying to figure things out when you're watching a movie that makes you feel a little nuts... like I do... ;)

Stay is about a psychiatrist, Dr. Sam Foster [Ewan McGregor], who takes over a patient's therapy sessions for a fellow doctor, named 'Henry Letham' [played brilliantly by Ryan Gosling]. After a few reluctant visits, Henry admits that on Saturday night at midnight, he's going to shoot himself in the head and there's nothing anyone can do to stop it... And then the madness ensues as Sam tries to prevent him from committing suicide while also trying to figure out what's causing Henry's psychosis... the question is, can he keep his own sanity in the process? 

The acting and camera work are superb, and the overall feel and color of the film [literally] truly does make you feel off-kilter as you go along for the ride. Stay has a great supporting cast as well... Naomi Watts plays Sam's artist girlfriend, Lila - who attempted suicide when she and Sam first started dating, making Henry's situation that much tougher for Sam to deal with... For Grey's Anatomy fans, the actresses that play Meredith's mother [Kate Burton] and Karev's 'Jane Doe' love interest [Elizabeth Reaser] make appearances, as does Bob Hoskins as Sam's blind, chess genius friend... 

Interesting to note, Stay was directed by Marc Forster who also directed Monster's Ball and is directing the next Bond installment, Quantum of Solace [still not sold on that weird title, but I still can't wait for it!]. 

If you don't like not knowing what the heck is going on, this movie will frustrate you, as it did my husband. It isn't a feel-good movie either, but I didn't find it overly depressing. I felt it was more of a dramatic thriller than just a drama and I loved every confusing minute of it. I also loved the special feature piece on the DVD [which I can't tell you about, lest I give things away...]. 3 1/2 out of 5. 

Add'l Info: Released: Oct 21, 2005 • Runtime: 99 minutes • Rated R for language and some disturbing images

"The End Is Nigh."

I think the week we went to see Doomsday, there was nothing out in the theaters we felt like seeing and we had absolutely NO expectations for this movie. I really didn't know much about it, but I knew Rhona Mitra was in it and I LOVE her. I remembered her from the Marky Mark movie Shooter. She had a bit part, but she had a presence that, to me, said 'future movie star'... I can't explain it. Anyway... so we went to see Doomsday and other that the crazy old guy sitting behind us that wouldn't shut the f-up during the entire time the previews were playing, this movie was a fun ride. 

The premise is similar to Resident Evil, but on a smaller scale. They manage to keep a man-made viral epidemic contained in Scotland, essentially sealing the people on the island via a giant wall they construct. Three years later they send a team of special forces in when they realize there's human movement in the latest satellite images taken of Scotland - but everyone SHOULD be dead. And now England is in trouble because signs of the virus are showing up again. If there are people who lived through it in Scotland, maybe someone over there managed to come up with a cure. So the movie is about Rhona Mitra's character and her team trying to find out if there's a cure, and then they come across this new breed of... people. And that's all I'll tell you. 

It was fun to watch visually. And the action and fight sequences were well done. Rhona did a good job making her character, Eden, believable in such an unbelievable circumstances. She's badass. It was a fun ride, and because of the old psycho sitting behind us, taking us out of the movie every time he laughed creepily at inappropriate times, we contemplated seeing it again, but just never made it back to the theater. We'll definitely watch this one again on DVD. In fact, I wouldnt' be surprised if my Mr. bought it. It's mindless fun action with some great eye candy and a kickass car chase [though completely UNbelievable, but at that point in the movie, who cares...]. And, a bonus was seeing an old Rover 3500 in there. My first car... I loved that dang car. I'll have to see if I can find a pic of it. lol

So... as far as action flicks go, I think this one is a solid 3 out of 5. Not the best, but certainly not the worst, and it's fun enough to give it a go. There are some pretty gory parts once the the team is captured that I'll warn you about if you're squeemish like I can be. But it's not too bad. 

~ HELENA

PS - This was the car I was talking about. I had a 1980 Rover 3500. It was a beast... 5-speed, V8. They used them as cop cars in England in the 80s and into the early 90s. My dad bought it used in Toronto in '86 and the thing always started. Even when it was on blocks for 3 years. The engine would not die and it purred... I'll never forget the sound of that engine... Everything else in it died, but it always started up. Awesome car... every car I've bought since has been judged by it in handling and power. [I'm a car freak... can you tell?]

Add'l Info: Released: Mar 14, 2008 • Runtime: 113 minutes [uncut] • Rated R for strong bloody violence, language and some sexual content/nudity

A rabbit gets shot and explodes. A cow gets run over by a huge military machine. A guy with a mohawk is beheaded on top of a sports car. No, it’s not a John McCain campaign ad. It’s Doomsday from Neil Marshall and it’s chock-full of gory goodness and action movie clichés. With a sexy heroine, desolate wastelands, and a whole lot of blood spatter, this 2008 sci-fi/action flick should do the job for gamers and gawkers of all varieties.

If the premise of Doomsday seems borrowed from just about every movie ever made, it’s because it has been. This seems like Marshall’s homage to the end-of-the-world genre. If it’s not an homage, however, Marshall owes an awful lot to Mad Max, 28 Days Later, Escape from New York, The Warrior, and even The Fisher King. Luckily Marshall cites many of those films as primary influences, so he’s off the hook on that front.

Doomsday can be a rollicking-good ride with the brain turned off, that’s for sure. Rhona Mitra stars as the Snake Plisken-inspired Eden Sinclair (talk about your porn names!), a soldier who leads a police task force. See, in 2008 a lethal plague infected Scotland and the country was blocked off from the rest of the world. It’s up to Eden to head back into Scotland in 2035 to find a cure because the plague has spread to the rest of the England. Eden heads over the wall, so to speak, and into the desolate remains of Scotland to find the cure and take down some bad guys.

There’s a lot to like about Doomsday. For starters, Mitra is solid as the heroine of this tale of destruction. She’s got just the right look and physicality to pull it off, even if she does resemble the heroine of the Resident Evil family of films a little too much. Nevertheless, Mitra’s unflinching attitude towards the blood and guts of Doomsday proves her mettle as a solid lead action hero. Her ability to utilize about three different facial expressions makes her the ideal candidate for this type of pulp-grindhouse gloriousness.

Then there’s the blood and guts. At times, Doomsday reaches so much for the extra dose of gore that it becomes laughable. Close-ups of meaningless brutality are shown, probably to emphasize the point that all is lost in Scotland (we knew that already!) and that the natives have taken to eating one another. Yet when Marshall goes to the point of making the act of chopping up a charred human being look actually appetizing (maybe it was just me, but that thing looked like it would be good with a little mint jelly), it becomes a little strange.

Doomsday has its moments of stellar action choreography and the film’s climax is a speed-infused barn-burner of a sequence, complete with plenty of blood and explosions. For the most part, though, the action scenes belong somewhere in a sleazy 70s exploitation flick. Of course, that’s just what makes Doomsday such an intriguing prospect. Its unabashed and shameless approach to violence and brutality hearkens back to the films of yore with reckless abandon, giving us cardboard characters, mindless violence, ridiculous dialogue, and random nudity.

Overall, Doomsday won’t save any souls or win over any converts. Sure, Scotland thought the movie would help boost tourism, but Marshall’s little film is just another blip on the radar. It’s a decent action movie with plenty of explosions and ample doses of gore, but the characters are far too flat and the plot is far too clichéd to resonate any deeper than a simple matinée viewing with plenty of popcorn and maybe a comic book for the slow parts. Doomsday works best as an homage to the ruthless grindhouse genre that spouted so many similar films. In that respect, it ain’t half bad.

5/10

Trailer:

Instantâneos de ilustres moradores se entrelaçando com anônimos numa Paris que não dorme. Nos convidando a conhecê-los!?? Gente que vive, trabalha, passeia. Com amor ou por um amor. Numa Paris que por ora uma metróple, noutras, a poucos passos surge como uma bucólica vila.

Gente que vivem uma paixão. Que sonha com um amor. Um amor que pode de repente cair aos seus pés. Ou por um que partiu para sempre. Um que fica esperando pela hora do reencontro - aquele olhar perdido da baby-sitter enquanto acalentava o bebê da patroa, arrepiou! Como também o tremor das mãos da para-médica, segurando os cafés.

Nessa Paris que alucina até na visão de um casaco vermelho. Vermelho do sangue que corre nas veias. Ou mesmo como uma doce canção. Uma Paris multi-colorida. Quer seja durante o dia, quer seja à noite, ela pulsa em tons ora vibrantes, ora melancólicos, mas que reflete a luz do coração dessa gente. O episódio com os vampiros me fizeram lembrar dos livros da Anne Rice.

Onde os sentimentos, os medos, os anseios, as tristezas... ressurgem liberando a todos para um novo amanhecer. Para brindar o amor a vida. E como diz a canção "dançar com a música". Pois a vida continua. Amei o filme! Nota: 10.

Por: Valéria Miguez.

MONKEY RATING: FOUR MONKEYS

(For a brief explanation of the Monkey Review rating system, click here.)

Directed and Written by Neil Marshall (The Descent). Starring Rhona Mitra, Bob Hoskins, Alexander Siddig, MyAnna Buring (also in The Descent), David O'Hara, and Malcolm McDowell.

"... maddening mash-up genre picture..."

"You know all those referential spoofs we've been getting lately... ? Well, Doomsday is like one of those, except played completely straight."

This is the reasoning provided by the critics who are bashing Doomsday, which is currently at a 33% on Rotten Tomatoes; of course, that's only after nine reviews. Well, I agree with their argument, but I disagree with their final conclusion: I thought Doomsday was a good blast of fun and excitement.

I went into this movie wanting to like it (I mean, Doomsday is a film by the guy that did The Descent, one of my favorite movies in the last few years), but expecting I wouldn't, just from what I had seen in the trailers. I can understand people's disdain for it - major problems with the plot, lack of focus, etc. etc., but I give credit where it's due and it's due.

Doomsday begins and is coupled with an infection story, similar to that in 28 Weeks Later, etc., but the infection/virus is not the focus. The story is about a really kick ass chick and some other dudes crossing into Scotland, which was quarantined; fighting some crazy people - a bunch of punks who are in a war with some even weirder dudes in a castle (I don't want to give too much away); and then it gets more kick ass.

I truly enjoyed the mash-up of genre films like Road Warrior, Escape from New York, Resident Evil, something with knights; at the same time that the film was mashing-up these genre concepts, it was paying tribute without being a tribute film. For these reasons, Doomsday is a refreshing and unique apocalyptic film. In addition to all this mashing-up, Marshall creates an odd mix of action comedy, straight-up comedy, horror,straight-up action, thriller, and political commentary (the political commentary being much more prevalent during the first third of the film, or so).

Marshall does deliver some Descent-like suspense and motifs, but other than that, it's a very different kind of film. Perhaps it's problem is just how weird it is. Well, I appreciated it.

The best way to describe the final product is this: I wouldn't say it hit its mark, but I wouldn't say it completely missed it, either; it's somewhere on the board, which is a board created by Marshall, himself, for this film.

If you hate it, you hate it. I won't hate you for hating it. But I enjoyed it. The cast isn't that bad looking, either.

B- 

PARIS JE T'AIME is a compendium film of shorts directed by various international film industry luminaries, on a theme made explicit by the title. If I describe it as a mixed bag, I won't really be saying anything at all -- these things are ALWAYS mixed.

For some reason they're generally kind of nice though, even if the weak segments outnumber the good. You have the pleasure of knowing that however bad the current bit is, something if not better, at least DIFFERENT will be along soon.

I sort-of enjoyed the typically pointless Coen bros episode with Steve Buscemi committing the fatal error of establishing eye contact in the Tuileries, the Alfonso Cuaron long-take exercise with an extravagantly shambling Nick Nolte, the Gus Van Sant meet-cute (is acceptable to simply recycle romcom cliches only with gay characters? Anyhow it was very nicely directed), the Nobuhiro Suwa yarn with Willem Dafoe as a phantom cowboy in the Place de la Victoires, the usual sort-of aimless but inexplicably compelling Olivier Assayas, and the Richard LaGravanese, which like many of the films was content to rely ENTIRELY on star power rather than actual ideas, but knew how to use its stars (and Fanny Ardant speaking English is a SENSATION! Bob Hoskins speaking French is...weird, but sweet, somehow).

The above segments passed the time, but seemed woefully unambitious if you stopped to think about it. If the filmmakers had had to write, shoot and edit them inside a week, I would have said they'd done a decent job within the restrictions. But I can't really justify anybody spending any greater amount of time on such lightweight pieces.

I've enjoyed Vincenzo Natali's features CUBE and CYPHER, but his piece was kind of embarrassing. I mean, he achieved a look that was distinct from all the other films (nobody else quite did this) but unfortunately it was a heavily CGI paintbox look, and after the establishing shots he somehow forgot to actually feature Paris.

Isabel Coixet actually achieves something impressive and moving in her section, which suddenly stands out from the preceding episodes as result. It also brings real imagination to its storytelling, as opposed to the mannerisms of Tom Tykwer. That guy's getting to be like a bad Wim Wenders for the MTV generation.

Depardieu's co-directed bit irked the hell out of me. It was nice seeing Ben Gazzara and Gena Rowlands again, but REALLY: filming two people sat at a restaurant table is one of the simpler tasks a director can have, as far as mise en scene goes, unless they choose to make it complicated. Depardieu and his stooge manage to cross the line for no reason almost immediately, and thereafter randomly alternate shot sizes, creating a meaningless jumble of shots that distract from the generally fine performances. What's irritating is that somebody with no directorial sense whatever has been handed a chance to show off his lack of ability in front of a wide audience, when the job could have been given to a talented short filmmaker or an experienced pro.

Christopher Doyle put together some nice visuals for his episode but forgot to come up with a coherent idea.

I was fairly charmed by the Sylvain Chomet mime story, which I thought bode fairly well for his Tati project: Chomet can do live action, it seems. I was curious as to whether he'd seen my clown movie, though, since he lives just outside Edinburgh. Not that he's stolen ANYTHING, mind you, but the idea of clowns/mimes as a persecuted minority is a tad close. If I had anything to do with inspiring him I'd be very happy.

Oliver Schmitz, like Coixet, got some emotional involvement into his story, and it was pretty cleverly constructed. I thought it spelled everything out too carefully at the end, instead of trusting the audience, though.

I loved the Alexander Payne, which makes me feel part of the great mass of humanity since everybody else does too. It manages a real JOURNEY, where the flat, horribly-accented narration of the frowsy middle-aged American tourist, in flat schoolgirl French, suddenly stops being a distanciation device and becomes tremendously affecting.

Several episodes were not really interesting enough to even mention.

But I'm still FURIOUS about episode 2, Gurinder Chadha's Quais des Seine. Partly it's because Chadha's flying the flag for Britain here, so I would've liked to see something inspirational. Mainly it's because her piece manages to encapsulate about half of what I hate about modern British film. Admittedly, she isn't out to give the audience a hard time for no reason, or rub our noses in gritty realism as "a cheap holiday in other people's misery" (to use Johnny Lydon's phrase), but her piece is the very embodiment of the new Tradition of Quality, Social Realism Lite. Visually uninspired to migraine-inducing levels, banal, preachy, inane, actively uninterested in exploring nuance or complexity or ambiguity or shading, this "film" sets out to teach the ignorant masses that (a) boys shouldn't shout abuse at girls because it isn't endearing, and (b) Muslims are people too. That's it. Both messages are prettily illustrated and then spelled out in dialogue form in case we missed it. And while I agree with both statements, neither strikes me as worth dramatising, for reasons that should be perfectly obvious.

The overall effect is to suggest that British filmmakers are stuck somewhere in the era of Cecil Hepworth, presenting pat homilies and shunning the cinematic in favour of the photogenic. When you compare this piece to what's being done in practically every other country in the world, it is SHAMEFUL. Chadha had the chance to connect to the great works of British cinema, or Indian cinema, or French cinema. What she's achieved might just serve to pass the time between highlights on an episode of Eastenders.

Phooey!

BUT! Coming soon, I will have some good news about British cinema...

Danny the Dog

EUA – 2005, 102 min

Diretor: Louis Leterrier

Roteiro: Luc Besson

Elenco Famoso: Jet Li, Morgan Freeman, Bob Hoskins

Desde os quatro anos de idade, Danny (Jet Li) foi criado como um cão. Seu “dono”, Bart (Bob Hoskins) o usa como uma arma, o que é muito útil para se cobrar dívidas. Durante uma de suas peripécias homicidas, o garoto-cão conhece Sam (Morgan Freeman), um cego afinador de pianos. Após um acidente de carro, Danny consegue fugir, refugia-se com Sam e conhece a vida além da violência que ele sempre viveu.

Ao contrário de 90% dos filme de ação com artes marciais, este tem história. A sensibilidade com que as descobertas, de coisas simples como fazer compras no mercado, a coisas mais complexas como o relacionamento dele com a filha de Sam, a Victoria (Kerry Condon), tudo é mostrado de forma muito boa. Outra coisa de difere esse filme dos outros do gênero é a relação estreita com o drama, e não com a comédia (como em todos, sem exceção, filmes de Jackie Chan).

Apesar da atuação ótima (e já comum) de Morgan Freeman, Jet Li de fato impressiona no longa. Pensando nos filmes que ele costuma fazer, não era de se esperar uma atuação muito brilhante dele em momentos em que ele não está espancando alguém. Mas sim, ele atua bem.

Em alguns momentos a violência é meio exagerada, o Jet Li é mais uma vez superestimado, e a trilha não é assim muito empolgante. Mas, resumindo, é um dos filmes de luta mais bem-feitos que conheço. E, embora não é exatamente o gênero de filme que gosto, recomendo a qualquer um.

Nota: 8,5

Por Renato Valverde

A Cannes non si parlò d'altro che della scena di bacio tra un rottweiler e la provocatoria Asia Argento. Sia io che Ferrara abbiamo il terrore dei cani, ma a un certo punto il rottweiler è comparso sulla scena - spiegò l'attrice - ho cercato così di diventare sua amica. E poi, non so come, quand'è arrivato il momento della scena, l'ho baciato. Una scelta che Asia non rifarebbe adesso, visto che l'attenzione si è focalizzata solo su quello.

A vestire i panni del carismatico impresario del club, Ray Ruby, è Willem Dafoe; Bob Hoskins è Jay, l'amministratore e complice di Ray; Matthew Modine è Johnny, fratello minore di Ray e suo finanziatore. Asia Argento e Stefania Rocca, la top model Bianca Balti, l'attrice francese Lou Doillon, sono alcune delle splendide ballerine. Infine c'e' anche un cameo di Riccardo Scamarcio che scopre la moglie (Balti) fare la stripper nel locale.

Und noch ein Endzeit-Szenario, diesmal allerdings mit unangenehm geringer Inkubationszeit. Bereits 2008 nämlich bricht auf dem größten europäischen Inselstaat ein ungewöhnlich aggressiver Virus aus und lässt die Regierung in aller Eile mal eben das Kriegsrecht verhängen. Für Ursachenforschung bleibt angesichts der rasend schnellen Verbreitung keine Zeit, und neben einem ziemlich unansehnlichen Ausschlag und sich zersetzenden Organen bringt der Reaper, so der treffsichere Name, auch äußerst unerfreuliche und wenig sozialverträgliche Verhaltensmuster mit sich. Also wird das Epizentrum im Norden des Landes einfach vom Rest der Welt abgetrennt und der alte Hadrianswall in moderner Hightech-Fassung neu aufgebaut. Schottland gehört wieder ganz den Schotten, nur dass von diesen bald keiner mehr übrig ist. So weit, so gut. Ein knappes Vierteljahrhundert ist Ruhe, dann kehrt der Reaper zurück. Wohl wissend, aber aus strategischen Gründen vor der Öffentlichkeit geheim gehalten, dass es in der Sperrzone immer noch Überlebende gibt, schicken der Premier und sein Drahtzieher ein Sondereinsatzkommando ins Krisengebiet, um dort nach einem offensichtlich existierenden Heilmittel suchen zu lassen. Doch der Zeitplan ist eng, und nur 48 Stunden verbleiben, um eine Pandemie zu verhindern. Auftritt Lara Croft, sichtbar und unstrittig aus Fleisch und Blut.

Nein, es geht nicht um Angelina Jolie und schon gar nicht um einen weiteren Film aus der eher lauwarmen als siedend heißen „Tomb Raider“-Serie. Es geht um Höheres. Als die erste weibliche Konsolenikone nämlich noch ausschließlich ein zweidimensionales Leben führte, hatte der Spielehersteller Eidos Interactive schnell begriffen, dass vor allem die männliche Kundenbasis dringend auch eine reale Version der Figur benötigte, eine Lara also, die auf Messen und Conventions auftreten, Interviews und Autogramme geben oder auch noch ganz anderen gewinnbringenden Unsinn machen konnte – wie etwa eine eigene CD aufnehmen. Also engagierte man ein Model, das die notwendige Ähnlichkeit zur Vorlage bei sich trug, und machte mit ihr noch ein bisschen mehr Geld als ohnehin schon. Die Wahl fiel damals, nach zwei mehr oder weniger offiziellen Stand-Ins (unter anderem Katie Price), auf die junge britische Schauspielerin Rhona Mitra, die sich schnell noch die passende Körbchengröße besorgte (Schönheitschirurgie liegt bei ihr praktischer Weise in der Familie) und fortan als Real-Lara eine ziemlich gute Figur machte. Eine nie näher öffentlich erläuterte Trennung von Eidos verhinderte allerdings ihr Auftreten in der späteren Filmfassung – und das ist ein Umstand, der angesichts dessen, was sie für Neil Marshalls wilden Endzeit-Ritt leistet, echtes Bedauern auslösen kann. Denn im Vergleich zu Mitras fiebriger Interpretation der von einem explosiven Cocktail aus tiefverwurzeltem Zorn und kompromisslosem Jagdinstinkt getriebenen Elitekämpferin Eden Sinclair (ein Name, für den ein einzelner Film ganz unmissverständlich nicht ausreicht) erscheint Jolies Croft-Version geradezu kleinbürgerlich. Die abgründige Entschlossenheit jedenfalls, mit der sich die Engländerin irisch-indischer Abstammung schwitzend und blutend durch die unterschiedlichen Levels dieser staubig-schmutzigen Anarchielandschaft aus postzivilisatorischen Tribal-Punks, Rittern und Gladiatoren schlägt (egal ob mit Schusswaffen, Schwertern, einem Bentley Continental GT oder bloßen Händen), ist schlicht und einfach pures Adrenalin.

Ausgestattet mit einer simplen, aber trotzdem alle entscheidenden Koordinaten der Figur wirkungsvoll ausrichtenden Initiationsgeschichte (ihre Mutter musste beim ersten Ausbruch des Reapers in der Sperrzone zurückbleiben, um das Leben ihrer Tochter retten zu können), orientiert sich Eden Sinclair ganz an den beiden einzigen wirklich schulemachenden Frauengestalten im amerikanischen Action-Kino, also Ellen Ripley („Alien“) und Sarah Connor („The Terminator“). Und demgemäss legt Mitra ihre Darstellung auch an, zynisch, schweißtreibend und unberechenbar, ohne dabei auch nur im Ansatz forciert zu wirken oder gar die Typologien ihrer Vorbilder imitieren zu müssen. Wenn Sinclair zum ersten Mal (als erwachsene Frau) auftritt, findet ihre zentrale Fokussierung zwar schon in der dramaturgischen Konstellation ihr unmissverständliches Abbild, doch erst der scheinbar fest in der Physiognomie ihrer Darstellerin verankerte Grenzgang zwischen gefährlicher Entschlossenheit und kontrollierter Psychose (und zwar genau ohne den verheerenden Grad zuviel, der Michelle Rodriguez oft so unerträglich macht) gibt der Figur diejenige Schlüssigkeit, die sie über den ganzen Film hinweg glaubwürdig und problemlos aufrecht erhält. Eine ganze Staffel lang hatte Rhona Mitra dem freakreichen Ensemble von „Nip/Tuck“ mit der ebenso undurchsichtigen wie besessenen Ermittlerin Kit McGraw bereits eine ähnlich erinnerungswürdige Figur hinzugefügt und diese mit jener bemerkenswert bedrohlichen Form sexueller Aggression versehen, die in der Elitekämpferin Sinclair nun ihr asexuelles Pendant findet – und damit eine Art Dialekt derselben Sprache in der Figurengestaltung ihrer Darstellerin markiert.

Aber ist das nicht alles ein bisschen zuviel für einen Film, der sich mit echtem Retro-Feeling irgendwo zwischen Mad Max, Snake Plissken und deren ebenso zahlreichen wie namenlosen Epigonen bewegt? Nun, vielleicht – aber auch nur für denjenigen, der schon mit den klassischen Endzeit-Spinnereien der späten 70er und frühen 80er nichts anfangen konnte. Alle anderen sollten einen Heidenspaß an diesem durchweg sehenswerten Versuch haben, einen Genrezwitter wiederzubeleben, der schon lange aus dem Kino verschwunden ist und sein Dasein stattdessen vor allem im Spätprogramm des Privatfernsehens fristet. Im Gegensatz aber etwa zu einem Projekt wie „Planet Terror“, das sich in ähnlichem Umfeld bewegt, nimmt Neil Marshall sein Sujet (sofern das überhaupt geht) weitestgehend ernst. Beide Filme profitieren merklich und intendiert vom Stil John Carpenters auf dem Höhepunkt seines Könnens (bevor er anfing, vor allem uninspirierten Nonsens zu drehen), doch während Rodriguez zunehmend in die Albernheit von „Big trouble in Little China“ verfällt, bleibt Marshall vor allem dem grimmigen Ton der „Klapperschlange / Escape from New York“ verpflichtet. Und so trägt Rhona Mitra (zumindest zeitweise) selbstverständlich auch eine Augenklappe.

Doch ganz unabhängig von diesem Trip in eine Ära des Kinos, die längst ausgestorben ist, wartet „Doomsday“ (auch ohne den sinnlosen deutschen Titelzusatz) mit einem Detailreichtum auf, das für eine geradlinige Geschichte wie diese durchaus ungewöhnlich ist. Marshall liebt seinen Stoff ganz offensichtlich und holt aus den für vergleichbare Hollywood-Verhältnisse geradezu lächerlichen 30 Millionen Dollar (dennoch ungefähr das Zehnfache seines vorherigen Budgets) so ziemlich alles raus, was drin ist. Dafür ging er mit seiner Crew zwar für den überwiegenden Teil des Drehs nach Südafrika, doch das sieht man dem fertigen Film nicht eine Sekunde lang an – von der flimmerigen Atmosphäre, die in Teilen der Geschichte vorherrscht, einmal abgesehen. Der Brite, der sich zuvor mit dem beklemmenden Horrorfilm „The Descent“ bereits einen guten Namen gemacht hatte, zeigt dabei ziemlich überzeugend, dass er auch angesichts eines größeren Budget nicht vergisst, worum es beim Filmemachen in erster Linie geht. Und das gilt für den gesamten Produktionsprozess von der Besetzung (Bob Hoskins als Sinclairs väterlicher Vorgesetzter, David O´Hara als schmieriger Drahtzieher, Craig Conway als Tribal-Führer in einer völlig überdrehten Chargenkreuzung aus Travis Bickle und Dennis Hopper, sowie, gänzlich unvermeidlich, Malcolm McDowell als archaischer Darwinist mit royalen Allmachtsfantasien) bis zur Tonspur (auf der Tyler Bates einen weiteren Beweis dafür liefert, dass er mit seinen vielschichtigen Partituren zu den interessantesten Filmkomponisten der Gegenwart gehört).

An seiner Inszenierung von (ansonsten einfallsreichen) Nahkampfsequenzen könnte Marshall zwar noch feilen und vor allem die Schnittfrequenz deutlich runterschrauben, im Grunde aber gibt es wenig an diesem temporeichen, niemals zeitschindenden und immer wieder überraschenden filmischen Endzeit-Vergnügungspark auszusetzen. Wo die natürliche Auslese nämlich dafür sorgt, wessen Köpfe im plastischen oder übertragenen Sinne rollen, da ist die Welt eigentlich völlig in Ordnung – jedenfalls solange sie ausschließlich im Kino stattfindet. Und was kann schon falsch sein an einem Film, in dem eine Horde kriegsbemalter Kannibalen ihr (in Deutschland erwartungsgemäß heftig gekürztes) Schlacht- und Grillfest mit dem gutgelaunten „Good thing“ der Fine Young Cannibals in Gang bringt? Nichts natürlich.

Artikel © 2008 Thomas Lenz. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.
Filmplakat: Concorde Filmverleih GmbH

Directed by: Terry Gilliam

Starring: Jonathan Pryce, Robert De Niro, Katherine Helmond, Ian Holm, Bob Hoskins, Kim Greist

Awards: Nominated for Oscar for Best Art Direction and Best Writing/Screenplay and Hugo for BestDramatic Presentation(1986), Won BAFTA for Best Production Design and Best Special Visual Effects (1986)

Self described as 1984 1/2, Brazil is Terry Gilliam's take on an Orwellian vision of a retro-future. The government controls everything as the populace is held hostage to overpowering bureaucracy. Sam Lowry is an everyday man who gets tangled up in the wrongful death of a man mistakenly killed for being a suspected terrorist. As he tries to unravel what has occurred, he crosses paths with a woman who he has been dreaming about, gets branded a terrorist himself, and soon becomes a victim of the system he has long been a part of.

Brazil, like most of Terry Gilliam films, is a dark comedy wonderfully realized through art direction and style. Sets made up of old buildings retrofitted with ductwork, typewriters and old televisions converted to computers, and a society that is obsessed with the perception of image are all just a few of things that make up this fantasy. Gilliam suggests in the commentary that everything that occurs in the film was based on real life events during the eighties and was meant as a social commentary about overindulgence and corruption in America. I think it is safe to say that the film rings even more true given the current state of our political government and lifestyle. Everything is mocked in the movie ranging from obsessions with plastic surgery, slave-like devotion to remedial jobs, and blind obedience to overbearing laws and regulation without question.

Notoriously known for having trouble on his films, Brazil was no less a mess for Terry Gilliam. The film was held back for a year from being released in the United States due to Universal re cutting the film for a happier ending. Gilliam fought back by showing the film without the studio's consent for two weeks at in LA to movie critics and film students. Pressure from them and rumors of attempted pre-release Oscar nominations eventually forced the studio to put out the original version of Gilliam's film. While the visual effects are somewhat dated by today's standards, the film is still fun to watch and serves as a chilling warning to a future that may yet come. All from a film that came about from a wish by Gilliam to do a movie where a man losing his mind ends up being a happy ending.

Other Notable Films by this Director: Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), Time Bandits (1981), Twelve Monkeys (1995)

-Dantasia

AKA: Bobby Darin Biopic - Runtime: 118 Minutes - Country: USA / Germany / UK

This film is focusing on the life of the great musician and entertainer Bobby Darin (1933 - 1973). Starting with some scenes that are showing a later on state of his career, the film is referring to his early childhood and the beginning of his career. And there we can see a young Bobby Darin (William Ullrich) who is suffering from a serious disease. The doctors are not were very confident... they are only giving him a few years. But during this though period of time, his mother tries her best to keep him happy - also by introducing him to the overall music. Soon Bobby is getting more and more enthusiastic about it... planning to have a big career, just as some of his idols.

Young Bobby is celebrating his birthday - while being in a serious state of health...

After his first bigger successes he is also starting to act in some film productions. Referring to one film shooting he is getting to know the beautiful actress Sandra Dee (Kate Bosworth) - who he marries later on. He is steady working on his career... according to his wife: certainly without drawing much attention to his personal and family life. Things are getting worse when they are having a baby - Bobby has to manage both professional and family concerns as well as he is able. But are these "two lifes" really compatible; and what about his state of health... ?

The first big dancing-scene, figuratively standing for Bobby's moving out and the beginning of his musical conquest

Wow, what a great depiction of a personal lifework. Of course, this film is not exactly an autobiography, according to the ways of film-making there are some things added or being left out - and I am glad that it turned out to be this way, since Kevin Spacey did an outstanding job on this one. The way of dealing with the flashbacks, the changing between Bobby's later-on career and his personal memories just impressed me, to state this here. The great musical dancing performances, especially the three big ones in the beginning, the middle and the end certainly were the icing on the cake - great performances, just perfectly captured !

After a difficult start, Bobby finally manages to perform in the one special nightclub...

While the first half of the film is rather dealing with his early childhood, his eagerly ways of getting the chance to perform; the second half is focusing on the inflection point of his life. And this is when he is getting to know his wife, with who he has a baby - and all the resulting problems referring to his career combined with his personal life. They are steady arguing a lot, having a lot of personal differences - but they are still loving each other, no matter what would happen. And this exactly is one of the most remarkable and best depicted messages that this film is able to transfer, referring to the overall power of love. But, this certainly is only one of many other universal messages !

Bobby still has to deal with his illness... should he rather rest, or continue with his business... ?

Since there are way more things that are spoken to. Especially: the great depicted personal development of Bobby Darin himself. Although this film only has a runtime of 118 minutes, you feel like you are given a really good, authentic and even detailed inside-view on the life of him. His childhood, his first stage performances, the biggest successes, the breaking-point, the changing concerning his career, his political ambitions; the final self-discovery... of course, towrads the ending there are even more serious things to be revealed... I would not like to spoil here, see this for yourself. To state it: I was deeply moved; especially by the one hold-back information that is now given to him, which made him feel that his whole former life was a big lie...

Finally: a great piece of filmic art, delivered by Kevin Spacey. Who also does an outstanding job as an actor and perfomer here. Since he is not only directing, but also starring in the leading role, dealing with some rather difficult choreographies, and even interpreting the original songs of Bobby Darin - thumbs up for the great work !

Bobby dancing with his younger alter ego... one of the best dancing performances that I have ever encountered

Such as for all other involved actors, such as Kate Bosworth, John Goodman, Bob Hoskins; and especially: lesser-known William Ullrich, who starred as the young Bobby Darin. I have nothing to complain about the overall technical part neither, the scene setups were complex (note that the dance-scene in the middle was shot in Berlin, in autumn - they had to do some re-editing so it would like it was set in summer), the cutting very enjoyable. Especially referring to the overall flashbacks, Bobby's inner conflicts; and the confrontations with his younger self.

What else to say ? I can only recommend this one; and this is another outstanding aspect: even to people that are not generally interested in the overall topic (randomly picked keywords: muscial, biography, Bobby Darin). This film has so much energy, so many universal messages; and is so nicely made, that basically everyone will enjoy it - at least this is what I think. An entertaining film, and a great homage to an artist that will finally make the soul of Bobby Darin immortal - 9.2/10.

Stars:

- For the great, interesting and emotional realization of the overall topic

- For the great musical mood and the depiction of the flashbacks

- For the overall acting and dancing performances, especially by Kevin Spacey and William Ullrich

- For the overall musical part

The link for the Trailer - The Dvd on Amazon.com

THE LONG GOOD FRIDAY

Bob Hoskins, Helen Mirren, Paul Freeman, Leo Dolan, P.H. Moriarty, Kevin McNally, Patti Love, Bryan Marshall, Pierce Brosnan, Daragh O'Malley / Screenplay  Barrie Keeffe / Soundtrack  Francis Monkman / Cinematography  Phil Meheux / Editor  Mike Taylor / Director John Mackenzie

Who lit the fuse that tore Harold's world apart?

To the uninitiated The Long Good Friday is probably best described as the British Scarface, though it pre-empted the Brian De Palma remake by three years, and Bob Hoskins' crime boss Harold, is quite a different beast. A pitbull gangster with vision, morality, elequence even (albeit laced with a colourful acid tongue), in curious contrast to the ugly violence that is prone to erupt if left unchecked. A little more of Tony Soprano than Tony Montana perhaps.. Harold seeks to launch London into the 21st Century, to take it's place as 'Europe's Capital', but his old-school moralities ultimately leave him ill-equipped to cope with that very future. Hoskins gives us a real sense of despair, of frustration and loss, as his world crumbles. All the more enhanced by the passage of the last three decades since Long Good Friday's release. Gone are the symbols of Harold's Britain ; the iconic Concorde (that superbly echoes his first white suited entrance) consigned to the rubbish heap, a dinosaur ; the death nell of the old Docklands, replaced with souless glass, whilst the lifeblood of the old East-end runs dry ; decency, honesty, loyalty.. fading (bloody hell, this is all getting a bit maudlin).

'I'm not a politician, I'm a business man, with a sense of history, and I'm also a Londoner. and today is a day of great historical significance for London. Our country isn't an Island anymore, we're a leading European state, and I believe that this is the decade when London will become Europe's capital, having cleared away the outdated, we've got mile after mile and acre after acre of land for our future prosperity, no other city in the world has got right in it's centre such an opportunity for profitable progress. so it's important that the right people mastermind the new London, proven people, with nerve, knowledge and expertise..and that, ladies and gentlemen is why you are all here today. All trusted friends, and why Charlie and Tony are here today, our American friends, to endorse the global nature of this venture. Let's hear it ladies and gentlemen..

 ..hands across the ocean.'

For some British actors access to America is a decidedly positive move. Anthony Hopkins has carved out a rather comfortable niche for himself in Hollywood, as has Michael Caine. Willowy beauty Kate Beckinsale's career has positively flourished, as has Kate Winslet's. Samantha Morton manages to field quality Hollywood parts, whilst still keeping one foot in British Indie cinema.. but Bob Hoskins? Poor old Bob may have raked in the dollars over the past few decades, but he's made some awful tat. Popular tat admittedly, but we really expected more somehow didn't we? Things were going so well too. Dennis Potter's iconic 'Pennies from Heaven', 'Long Good Friday', Gilliam's 'Brazil', Neil Jordan's gutsy 'Mona Lisa'.. hmm, what's next? 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit', 'Mermaids', 'Hook', 'Super Mario Brothers'..What the hell happened?  Bob replies: ' Well.. it was the money wasn't it..'

'The Yanks love snobbery, they really think they've arrived in England if the Upper Classes treat 'em like shit.'

I hear an American remake is being considered. Initially it makes some species of sense, after the popularity abroad of Guy Ritchie's 'Lock Stock' and 'Snatch'  films, and 'The Italian Job'  remake (don't get me started on that one!) but given that the heart of this film is the anti-American rant in the penultimate scene, you'd think that might prove a fairly fundamental problem. Akin to the mindboggling decision to dub the British comedy show 'Allo Allo' into French & German.. a series that mainly consists of comical piss takes of French & German accents (reckon something gets lost in translation?). They'll probably stick Michael Caine in there somewhere, dig up some old Civil War resentment perhaps.. or have a pop at the Canadians. On the surface British and American Gangster films would seem to be interchangable, dealing with similar issues and sharing similar moralistic grounds, but they really are chalk and cheese. All the more evident when the two collide, both here and in Richie's Gangster send ups. The two exist happily in their own right, but never the twain shall meet to any convincing extent. Scorsese's 'Departed' is the closest marriage of the two styles I can think of, but only in a superficial visual sense. In just the same way that Hollywood can't match the realism of a British Gangster film like Sexy Beast, so too Britain can't hope to imitate the pure cinematic experience of The Godfather.

'I tell you something, I'm glad I found out in time what a partnership with a pair of wankers like you would've been like! A sleeping partner's one thing, but you're in a fucking coma! No wonder you've got an energy crisis your side of the water.. but us British, we're used to a bit more vitality, imagination, touch of the Dunkirk spirit, know what I mean? The days when Yanks could come over 'ere and buy up Nelson's Column, an 'arley street surgeon and a couple'a Windmill Girls are definately over! What I'm looking for..is someone who can contribute to what England has given to the world: Culture, sophistication, genius.. a little bit more than an hotdog, know what I mean? We're in the Common Market now, and my new deal is with Europe, I'm going into business with a German organisation. Yeah! The Krauts! They've got ambition, knowhow, and they don't lose their bottle. Look at you..The Mafia? I've shit 'em.'

BOB HOSKINS' GUARDIAN INTERVIEW

Friday 3rd August, 2007

Bob Hoskins says he's still waiting to be found out. He hasn't got a clue what he's doing in this business. "I feel I'm the wrong name on the right list," he says. "Keep going, keep prodding, and nobody'll notice. When I told my relations I'm gonna be an actor, they said: 'Don't be fucking daft. Forget it! You've got to be kidding, aintcha?'" He's got a point. A bullfrog of a man with a boxer's nose and a right gob on him, he's hardly your conventional lead. But he's been working for 40 years now, and in that time has created some of the most memorable characters in television and film - Arthur Parker, the frustrated songsheet salesman in Pennies from Heaven, Harold Shand, the psychotic gangster in The Long Good Friday, lovelorn George in Mona Lisa, the eye-popping private eye Eddie Valiant in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. He does hard bastard and soft bastard equally well. In his new film, Sparkle, he is playing one of his touching - and touched - softies.

Not surprisingly, acting wasn't his first job - it came along by accident one evening in London in the late 1960s. Hoskins turned up with his mate for an audition at the old trade union theatre, the Unity. He was just there for a drink, it was his friend who wanted the part. Right, next, said the casting director, pointing to Hoskins. Before he knew it, he found himself on the stage reading from the script of a play about a young thug. He got the lead, and that was that. He didn't have any training or theory behind him, but he was good at pretending to be other people. "There's two things I love about this business. One's acting and the other one's getting paid for it. The rest of it is a mystery to me. But I ain't got the faintest idea what the fuck is goin' on, you know. I've read Stanislavsky, and I thought, well, this is obvious." Ignorant sod that I am, I ask if he means the Method, as thesps like to call it. "Nah! Nah, that's Lee Strasberg, that's bollocks! Like how to look busy. It's just looking busy, impressing the boss. That's bollocks, going through all this cobblers. Living it out and all that. Bollocks. Total cobblers!"

I think I know what you mean, I tell him - for example, with The Long Good Friday it's pointless killing a few people just to get into character. "Exactly!" he says. "I'm out the door in a flash. Gone. Let's face it, some of the characters I've played you can't take home to the wife and kids." It was in the late 1970s and early 80s that he produced his most outstanding work, partly because he was more fussy with his choices, and partly because Britain was rich in writers and directors. On television, Dennis Potter mingled genres and explored the subconscious in ways that hadn't been seen before. Was he aware that Pennies from Heaven was special when he was making it? "Nah. The thing was at the time the BBC were quite frightened of it. Whasisname, Piers Haggard, the director, asked me to take me clothes off - I come home, take me clothes off, put me pyjamas on and go to bed, about as sexy as a bag of Brussels sprouts. But he says, 'I want full frontal.' Well, Bill Cotton [then controller of BBC1] went fuckin' bananas. 'We can't have that,' he says, 'If you show Hoskins' cock on the television we will get letters of complaint.' Dennis, without a beat, says, 'No Bill, you'll get letters of sympathy.' Hahahahaha!" Hoskins roars.

What happened to the golden age of TV drama? "Gawd knows. It's all fucking live television, isn't it? It's all bollocks. Living television is the cheapest way to make TV and the cheaper they make it, the more money for the executives."

Hoskins is now 64, but has no plans to retire. The thing is, he says, an actor can be in an iron lung and you can still give him a part. And now, with his age and status, he's enjoying himself more than ever. "You reach a point where the cameo is the governor. You go in there for a couple of weeks, you're paid a lot of money, everybody treats you like the crown jewels, you're in and out, and if the film's a load of shit, nobody blames you, y'knowwhadimean. It's wonderful." Maybe for you Bob, I say, but not always so wonderful for us. The cameos can frustrate the viewer, and unbalance a film. In Sparkle, for example, you wish he was in the film longer. He laughs off the criticism. "Always leave 'em wanting more, son!" Hoskins has always liked his money. He is probably better known these days for the irritating British Telecom campaign than for his movies. For years, people stopped him in the street and told him: "It's good to talk." He was paid a huge amount by BT, but was it worth it? "You're joking, intcha? I couldn't believe it. It was un-be-lie-va-ble." So little work, so much money. Of course, he'd do it again if he was asked. "The worst thing that happened to me was Madonna getting stalked by a fella called Bob Hoskins, and I had fuckin' hundreds of people come up to me, and say 'It's good to stalk.' Bastards! Hahaha!"

He accepts there have been flops, and films he's detested, but that's the nature of the game. "The worst thing I ever did? Super Mario Brothers. It was a fuckin' nightmare. The whole experience was a nightmare. It had a husband-and-wife team directing, whose arrogance had been mistaken for talent. After so many weeks their own agent told them to get off the set! Fuckin' nightmare. Fuckin' idiots."

The following are screenshots from an episode of Burke's Law, titled "Who Killed Cock-a-Doodle Dooley?"*

* ANSWER: Dan Lauria's amazingly hot bearish body.  My Cock-a-Doodle Dooley can't handle such hotness.

]]> http://xanderross.wordpress.com/?p=136 Mon, 21 Apr 2008 15:52:12 +0000 xanderross http://xanderross.wordpress.com/?p=136 J'ai enfin vu Doomsday, le nouveau film de Neil Marshall, le réalisateur fou qui à pondu le génialissime Dog Soldiers (film de loup garou) et surtout du térrifiant The Descent. Ce film bénéficie de 2 gros atouts, le premier c'est bien son réalisateur, mais le second, c'est pour moi Rhona Mitra (vu dans Nip Tuck et Hollow man), qui en plus d'être sublime, campe une militaire convaincante.

Synopsis:
Un terrible virus annihile 90 % des habitants en Écosse. Pour endiguer l'épidémie, le gouvernement anglais construit un mur infranchissable. l'Écosse est désormais un no man's land barbare et violent où les survivants, coupés du monde, s'entretuent pour survivre.
Lorsque 30 ans plus tard, le même virus réapparaît au cœur de Londres, un commando de choc part en mission suicide rechercher un éventuel vaccin dans une Écosse contrôlée par des gangs rivaux..

Soyons clair dès le début, c'est un film fait pour s'amuser pendant 1h45, pas pour réfléchir ou se tordre l'esprit, ça va vite, ça éclabousse, ça tache, ça fait mal, et au final, on marre bien.

Neil Marshall est un fan, et ça se voit, il à pris le meilleur de Mad Max, de New York 1997, de 28 semaines plus tard, il à combiné ça à son gout prononcé pour le gore et en à fait un film, et quel film... Une pure claque.
Le film est gore, violent, barbare, et ça ce voit, décapitation, immolation, tranchage de bras et autres sont au programme. Sans oublier, la bombe sexuelle, les punks, les moyens ageux, les politiques fascistes et les infectés. Le tout est un joyeux bordels qui fait que l'on se tape un trip pendant 1h45.

En plus de ça Neil Marshall maitrise très bien sa caméra. La bande son est pas mal, et le casting est très bon, Bob Hoskins, Malcolm McDowell et surtout Rhona Mitra, car il faut le dire, le film est entièrement sur ses épaules. Elle campe une "militaire" des plus classe et en plus crédible.

Au final, un film qui ne se prend pas la tête, qui réjouira les fans de gore, de film post apocalyptique et ceux qui sont comme moi qui bavent quand ils voient Rhona Mitra...

Bande annonce
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"How many times do I have to say that I'm not Posh Spice?"

Doomsday would have been perfect if I were fifteen; I'm not so, I'd say it' not very good at all.

The problem with Doomsday is that it borrows story elements heavily from similar movies (Escape from NY and The Road Warrior come to mind) and hopes we don't notice that we've paid to see a movie we could have just rented for half the price. In college this kind of blatant plagirism is punishable by expulsion.  The best I can do is tell is that the story is and plot are bad (even by action movie conventions).

The movie did have a lone bright spot in Rhona Mitra. While her character felt like a blatant rip of Snake from Escape from NY, she played the character with equal parts grace and machismo that really made her shine. I'm not sure what it was about her but she looked convincing in the action sequences and played the emotional moments in the film very well.  It's hard to look badass when you're skin tight clothing but she pulled it off.
Bob Hoskins and Malcolm McDowell are both equally wasted in their parts but manage to do with grace and poise that befits both. Had the director given them more they would have still sucked but only because their characters were paper thing to begin with.

The production value for the movie was good even though everything was pretty designed to be like the Road Warrior but the editing was annoyingly bad. I don't understand why some editors that making a scene more exciting involved a dozen or so cuts in the span of thirty seconds. It's annoying, it's confusing and it ruins the tension!

There's also an uneccesary amount of blood and guts that I'm sure the kids loved but nothing for me. Gorier doesn't equal excitement.

This movie could have been good, it could have been a guilty pleasure but as it stands it just stands as an inferior copy of better movies.

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