Precious and Pirate Radio
A few words about two movies I saw today.
Precious has been getting attention since it played at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. It is Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire. And it is one powerful film. Directed by Lee Daniels and scripted by Geoffrey Fletcher Precious really packs a punch.
Precious (Gabourey Sidibe) is sixteen and still in junior high school. She has been raped by her father and is now expecting her second child. Her mother Mary (Mo'Nique) is verbally and physically abusive. Precious is also quite overweight and although she is smart she has trouble reading. She has a miserable life. But there are people out there who want to help her. One is her teacher Ms. Rain (Paula Patton) who sees potential in Precious. Another is her case worker Mrs. Weiss (Mariah Carey).
The film partly takes place in Precious's head through fantasies. That is how she tries to deal with reality. This is not an easy film to watch. It is pulls no punches and goes for the gut. Daniels pulls you right into the film. Newcomer Sidibe is terrific as Precious. And Mo'Nique is amazing as her witch of a mother. Carey is really good as Mrs. Weiss - I was pleasantly surprised at how good she is. And not enough has been said about Patton as the sympathetic Ms. Rain. Also good in a small role is Lenny Kravitz as Nurse John.
Look for Precious come Oscar time. I think that the film will get a number of nominations and perhaps a win for Mo'Nique. Don't let the rough subject matter keep you away from this outstanding film.
Pirate Radio was a perfect film to see after Precious. I felt a great heaviness on my head after seeing the first film. Pirate Radio is a lot of fun and I needed a few laughs.
Based on a true story taking place in the late 1960s the story is about the time the UK banned rock music over the airwaves. With all that great music coming out of there back then you wonder why. So a group of rebel disc jockeys started up a radio station on a boat. And boy did they rock! In the film the head dj is The Count (Philip Seymour Hoffman). He is the king until his rival Gavin (Rhys Ifans) comes back. Bill Nighy plays Quentin, the man who appears to be in charge. He has given refuge to his godson Carl (Tom Sturridge). Kenneth Branagh plays the government official who is hellbent on shutting down the station.
I really enjoyed the film and I love the music. Sometimes the script seems a little corny and the plot goes a bit overboard. I don't think that the film is all that accurate. But it doesn't matter because you can have a very good time if you let yourself just get into the film. Nighy, Hoffman, Ifans and Branagh are all wonderful in their roles. Emma Thompson makes a cameo appearance as Carl's mother Charlotte. And Man Men's January Jones has a small role in the film.
So if you love The Kinks, The Who, The Rolling Stones and other music from that time period do yourself a favor, kick back and enjoy Pirate Radio.
Precious has been getting attention since it played at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. It is Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire. And it is one powerful film. Directed by Lee Daniels and scripted by Geoffrey Fletcher Precious really packs a punch.
Precious (Gabourey Sidibe) is sixteen and still in junior high school. She has been raped by her father and is now expecting her second child. Her mother Mary (Mo'Nique) is verbally and physically abusive. Precious is also quite overweight and although she is smart she has trouble reading. She has a miserable life. But there are people out there who want to help her. One is her teacher Ms. Rain (Paula Patton) who sees potential in Precious. Another is her case worker Mrs. Weiss (Mariah Carey).
The film partly takes place in Precious's head through fantasies. That is how she tries to deal with reality. This is not an easy film to watch. It is pulls no punches and goes for the gut. Daniels pulls you right into the film. Newcomer Sidibe is terrific as Precious. And Mo'Nique is amazing as her witch of a mother. Carey is really good as Mrs. Weiss - I was pleasantly surprised at how good she is. And not enough has been said about Patton as the sympathetic Ms. Rain. Also good in a small role is Lenny Kravitz as Nurse John.
Look for Precious come Oscar time. I think that the film will get a number of nominations and perhaps a win for Mo'Nique. Don't let the rough subject matter keep you away from this outstanding film.
Pirate Radio was a perfect film to see after Precious. I felt a great heaviness on my head after seeing the first film. Pirate Radio is a lot of fun and I needed a few laughs.
Based on a true story taking place in the late 1960s the story is about the time the UK banned rock music over the airwaves. With all that great music coming out of there back then you wonder why. So a group of rebel disc jockeys started up a radio station on a boat. And boy did they rock! In the film the head dj is The Count (Philip Seymour Hoffman). He is the king until his rival Gavin (Rhys Ifans) comes back. Bill Nighy plays Quentin, the man who appears to be in charge. He has given refuge to his godson Carl (Tom Sturridge). Kenneth Branagh plays the government official who is hellbent on shutting down the station.
I really enjoyed the film and I love the music. Sometimes the script seems a little corny and the plot goes a bit overboard. I don't think that the film is all that accurate. But it doesn't matter because you can have a very good time if you let yourself just get into the film. Nighy, Hoffman, Ifans and Branagh are all wonderful in their roles. Emma Thompson makes a cameo appearance as Carl's mother Charlotte. And Man Men's January Jones has a small role in the film.
So if you love The Kinks, The Who, The Rolling Stones and other music from that time period do yourself a favor, kick back and enjoy Pirate Radio.
posted by Film Fanatic | 7:03 PM
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