Bond, Cave and Depp

Movie review time. First up was another viewing of the Nick Cave movie The Proposition basically an Australian western. The first time I saw this movie I came away thinking it was one of the best Aussie flix I'd seen, and would probably make a Top10 if I ever made one. The weekend viewing confirmed that. Really interesting script concerning the British colonial attitude to enforcement. Ray Winstone's character is the Captain who has to capture an outlaw and his brothers who had raped, murdered and burnt a family. The Captain captures the youngest brother (Mikey - a simpleton) and Guy Pierce's character Charlie Burns. He sends Charlie off to find his older brother with the Proposition of swopping him for Mikey - otherwise he'll hang Mikey. What follows is a really interesting exploration of the characters, the Captain being ordered by effeminate boss (David Wenham) to flog to death Mikey. The Captains relationship with his wife (mmm Emily Watson...), Charlie's relationship with his brother Arthur etc. The colonial attitudes to Aborigines is also looked at in, um, graphic detail.
As you might have guessed, this movie is getting a big thumbs up from me. The level of violence has been described as high, but I'd disagree with that. The violence is very quick and in the hands of a lesser (Hollywood?) director it probably would have been made OTT. In this film its more suggested and quick shots, and let's be realistic, colonial Australia was unlikely to be a bunch of flower arrangers...

Next up was the Johnny Depp, Samantha Morton and John Malkovich vehicle The Libertine, this movie was about the debaunched life of the Lord of Rochester. Acting was superb, story was full of breasts and sex and literature, and the costume, period setting (Charles II) was great. I got the feeling that the story was at times subsumed for sex (and no, I can't believe I wrote that!) but it was a good movie. Depp is particularly good although I kept getting flashbacks to his character in Sleepy Hollow, Malkovich is fantastic as Charles II. For some reason I've never been the biggest fan of John M, but he gave Chuckles II a really good vibe all deep and thoughtful. I enjoyed it not as much as I hoped, but definitely worth a spin.

Finally: wandered along to the Embassy to see the new Bond movie. No point giving a IMDB for that one. Came away happy as it is a good movie. At times I think the scripting could have been a bit tighter as certain scenes drag a bit, and the love spin in the middle seemed too long and superfluous. Unless the viewer is really dumb and needs to be bludgeoned. Daniel Craig is excellent, I'd said a few years ago after LayerCake that he'd make an excellent Bond, and then got roundly laughed at. Screw you bastards I was right!!! Craig was excellent, really physical and can act. It did help that he had a reasonable script to work with. Didn't think much of the Bond girl, she seemed a bit lost onscreen. So yeah a reasonable movie, a bit long, but quite enjoyable and lots of explosions and stuff.

Love, b