Views from the Void

1408
Plot: Mike Enslin is an author of books such as ’10 haunted hotels’ but for every place he has visited he has never witnessed anything supernatural. Then he receives a postcard telling him not to go to room 1408 at the Dolphin Hotel, New York, which of course he does. The history of the room is that no-one has ever stayed in that room for more than an hour and survived.
My thoughts: This film is proper scary! A real ghost story that delivers jumps aplenty and has a real sense of tension. Some of the scenes are clichéd, such as the radio turning on and the blood coming out of the walls, and you will occasionally get the feeling that you have seen this done before, but that doesn’t stop it working. The plot itself isn’t complicated, there is no hidden back story as to why the room is evil- it just is evil! And the tension builds well. There is a clock that ticks down, and you can’t wait to find out what happens when it gets to zero! As part of the plot, Mike is also trying to come to terms with the death of his daughter, so there are a few emotional scenes too. It’s major drawback for me is when the room starts cracking up- I thought that was a bit over the top. The sound effects in the film are also good. Often you can hear sound effects barely and they appear to come from different directions. A couple of times I had to turn round to see if there was something there!
On the whole, it is a fantastic scary, but generally predictable, story. Well worth seeing if you like ghost movies.
Best bit: The start of the time in the room, as things start to happen and Mike tried his best to rationalise them. And it really is scary!
Score: 9/10

Knocked Up
Plot: When Alison, a hard working good-looking girl working in television gets a promotion, she goes out to celebrate. She hooks up with pot smoking slob Ben and they have a drunken night together, which she regrets the next morning. A few weeks later she founds out she’s pregnant. She has it out with Ben and they try to make things work- for the baby’s sake. This film follows their relationship from conception to birth.
My thoughts: As a plot, this film is as shallow as a puddle and there are no real hidden plot twists- which is a good thing. What this film delivers is a story about the developing relationship between two completely different people. Alison is gorgeous and Ben is a typical geek. Their meeting and consequent ‘night together’ really should be a warning to us all, but their developing relationship is touching and quite heart-warming, and is well delivered by a witty and intellectual script. The secondary characters also bring a certain depth to it. Ben’s friends are unbelievable, but I am sure we have all seen/met/been people like that! They all appear to be stoned out porno loving geeks (Are there really people like that?) and are there to provide humour. Alison’s sister Debbie and her husband Pete (Paul Rudd) also add another dimension and Bens eventual friendship with Pete is quite touching.
On the whole, it is a well-written and acted piece of light drama with some good scenes, although there are bound to be some scenes to make you cringe. It’s also quite informative- I never knew what caused red-eye before!
Best bit: The Vegas trip with the Bedroom Chair scene! However the script is witty and there will be many chuckles!
Score; 7/10

The Bourne Ultimatum
Plot: Jason Bourne is back, and this time he is on the hunt for the man who started the whole thing, after talking to a journalist who had a ‘reliable source’. His journey leads him back to the CIA and a familiar face, whilst all the time trying to escape the clutches of the assassins hired to kill him off.
My Thoughts: The film work very well to finish the trilogy. This time he is trying to find out why he was chosen, after he starts getting flashbacks. His enquiries lead him to London, Madrid and eventually New York, where he meets the man in charge. If you have seen the other two films you should get a satisfying sense of completion (or maybe just a sense of ‘that ended a bit too easily’). The plot leads the viewer by the hand to the conclusion, with some good action sequences- especially over the Tangier rooftops. It is also good to see Julia Stiles back again! My main gripe with the film is the camera work. During the chases and action scenes it can get annoyingly shaky and sometimes it is hard to focus on what is going on! Another negative point my be that the conclusion may disappoint some people as being a bit of a let down.
On the whole, it is a good action film. It may be worth watching the other two first before going to see it so you can get some background, because it may not make as much sense otherwise.
Best Bit: The Tangier chase/fight scenes (especially in the shower). And the intro with the journalist at Waterloo. Tense stuff!
Score: 8/10

Evan Almighty
Plot: Evan Baxter(Steve Carell), ex anchorman turned congressman, is commissioned by God (Morgan Freeman) to build an ark. But will he be able to build it, and hold down his job, and spend time with his family, in time before the flood- especially as the animals have already started arriving two by two.
My thoughts. For most people I can imagine that they will either really love this film or just barely tolerate it. but I thoroughly enjoyed it! The main plot is basic- Evan starts turning into Noah- complete with hair (which was reminiscent of The Santa Clause) and robe. The important plot points regarding the building site are not easy to spot but there is enough there for the viewer to realise where the threat is. Once again Morgan Freeman plays God well, and the character certainly enjoys word play. There are quite a few hidden biblical jokes that are worth watching for, and many references to Genesis 6:14. Some of the visual comedy is lame, especially in the early boat building scenes, but there is enough to keep the film moving. But the reason I enjoyed the film so much is that I loved the concept of it- how society would react to a modern day Noah. Plus the whole acts of random kindness message was nice! There was also a noticeable air of anticipation in the cinema just before the rain came!!
ON the whole, if you like your films to have a biblical theme, or you enjoy light-hearted comedy- then give this a go.
Best Bits: Morgan and Steve are very good. The animals and the ark are good. The whole idea of the film is good. And try to spot all the biblical jokes!
Score 8/10 (or should it be 6/14)