Movie Fest Day Uno Reviews

Day one of Movie Fest is a wrap and we're officially pooped. It has to be handed to Movies.ie and CineWorld for pulling this off. Judging by the scramble for the last few seats and the stuffed goody bags by 10.15 this morning, word spread fast. We've already secured our tickets for tomorrow, fortunately for us, as it sold out during the week. 

First up we had  Fright Night a remake of the 1985 Horror, starring this time Colin Farrell (Coddle Farddle), Anton Yelchin, David Tennant and Toni Colette. This film, to me, was Disturbia with teeth. A teenage lad's obsession with a neighbour he knows is up to no good. This time the neighbourino is a vampire, no less. We saw the 3D version, which I found very dark but the lads seemed to love. Fright Night really didn't try too hard and that's why I liked it, switching quickly from laugh out loud to genuinely frightening. I'm convinced that had anybody else attempted the role of Coddle they would come off as Ham, maybe Ham & Cheese but Mr Farrell just made it work. He commanded the screen with comic timing and micro expressions of the seasoned Hollywood professional he has become. 


Christopher Mintz Plasse also making an appearance, still riding high on his role as Red Mist in Kick Ass, this kid is naturally funny and proves as much, once more, on this outing. David Tennant as the Las Vegas magician and self confessed vampire killer appeared at first as an homage to Russell Brand but quickly came into his hilarious own. All in all I'm not sure I would send you running out to see this one, while I genuinely enjoyed it I might suggest waiting for the DVD. The Lads disagree entirely, according to them you need to see this with immediateness. If you fancy a cinema trip, you can't go far wrong with this one.

Following this we were treated to clip upon clip, sneak peak upon exclusive footage and a specially recorded intro from the Master himself Guillermo del Toro. We were given a taste of some serious blockbusters here, notably The Avengers probably the one I'm most excited about. Haywire and from Jo Nesbo with the delectable Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister), Headhunters. 

And so to our Mystery Screening, the compare's announcement of Smurfs 3D was met with a collective groan, his 'Eh, I'm joking!' with relieved laughter and appreciative applause. 

Drive 
Open scenes of Los Angeles with Ryan Gosling speaking, enjoy this as he doesn't do much of it for the duration. The premise has Gosling working as a stunt driver and part time grease monkey but also picking up a heist or two. Offering five minutes of his time for the job, no more, no less then expertly driving to escape. 

From scene one this film is beautiful, pounding, at times genuinely terrifying and as good an action thriller as you're likely to see for quite a while. The soundtrack, based in techno but reaching so far beyond that is haunting at times but never less than a perfect fit. This is my first time in a long while to wonder how soon I can get the CD soundtrack only 10 minutes in.

Carey Mulligan plays the neighbour, a young mother to a cute kid whose father is inside. Gosling's on screen chemistry with Mulligan is electric, only using words when absolutely necessary, every movement carefully thought out and every emotion hidden. This makes the horrific violence that much more shocking when it happens. Gosling is as effortlessly cool as he is truly frightening. Scenes are shot with dramatic and voyeuristic angles, seeing character's actions and reactions in mirrors or from an awkward angle as if you are realistically part of the conversation. A genuinely absorbing movie with real character involvement. I'm not even mentioning car chases to rival Bullitt or The Bourne Identity at its best.

Some scenes have echoes of a superhero at work, a man with morals and a dogged determination to protect what he loves at all costs. When a heist goes disastrously wrong you can almost hear the cogs turn as Gosling attempts to set things right. With moments of true tenderness in stark contradiction to cover your eyes terror, this film is like no other I've seen. From a girls point of view, there's a kiss that would blow Spidey's upside down socks off followed immediately by the most horrific, in your face, murder I've ever witnessed on the silver screen. Incredible.

A collaboration between Gosling himself and Danish Director Nicolas Winding Refn and based on the novel by James Sallis, Drive is an instant classic. Receiving wide acclaim at the Cannes Film Festival it is truly frightening, flawless and beautiful, I want to see this again. And again. And again.

Final screening of the day was Change Up, have to admit I wasn't looking forward to this one. I'm not a big Ryan Reynolds fan, there I said it! He plays himself in every movie, I'm wholly convinced if he were made of chocolate he'd nom off every chocolatey digit and lick his cartoony lips for effect. 

This film saw the body swap formula trotted out like a show pony that's only fit for the glue factory. Again with the body swap? Seriously? Wait for it... I was pleasantly, comically surprised! These guys made it work. Jason Bateman acts his pants off in this to hilarious effect. There are scenes with the babys, so outrageous that they had to be watched through fingers. Even Reynolds wasn't cringe inducing, no mean feat. 

This film has heart, profanity, plenty of boobs and the stunning Olivia Wilde, funny, intelligent and a lover of the Emerald Isle? What's not to girl schwing over? If you want a funny night out this is a safe bet. Don't be put off by the rehashed formula as this production has some real originality. 

Phewwweee, that was a long post, does anything grab your interest? 

I'm leaba bound now as we're up bright and early for day 2 of Movie Fest. Tune in tomorrow for the low down.