I can’t begin to tell you how much fun I have watching this film. I heard faint rumblings around the Internet back in July or so about how much some people liked it, so when the chance to score a screener arrived in early September I jumped all over it and have watched the film four times since that day. I can’t get enough of the madness and the mayhem of it all and Tom Hardy as Michael Peterson, a.k.a. Charles Bronson, Britain’s most famous prisoner is a sight to behold.
A couple of people disagreed with my “A” review back in October, one called it “boring” and the other called it “dull”, but both recognized Hardy’s performance. I tried showing it to a friend that also found it boring, but another I showed it to replied with a rave review. It’s a case of different strokes I guess, but it is nice to know we can at least agree Hardy brought a real character to life. Perhaps it’s not the real Charlie Bronson, but to deny he’s one hell of an entertaining character is to fool yourself.
Now click the play button above and enjoy one of my favorite scenes. The dude in the blue polo has got the moves.
NOTE: The clip included to the right is not safe for workplace viewing.
Where to place In the Loop on this list was an absolute conundrum. After first seeing it in mid-May prior to its opening the Seattle International Film Festival and probably losing a couple pounds from laughing so hard, I watched it one more time before writing my “A+” review calling it “one of the most smartly written and superbly executed political comedies I have ever seen, if not the absolute pinnacle of the genre.” I stand by this statement, but as I have watched it several times since I have started to laugh less, but enjoy the satire more. This is something that will obviously happen the more you watch a comedy, but I think it also has something to do with some of the people I have watched it with.
While I’m convinced I could watch it with RopeofSilicon Box-Office Oracle Laremy Legel over and over again, both of us laughing our asses off as we watched, I have shown it to other people that simply stared at the screen without even cracking a smile. I don’t know if they are dumfounded at Peter Capaldi’s ability to spout off insults such as: “Allow me to pop a jaunty little bonnet on your purview and ram it up your shitter with a lubricated horse cock!” or if they just weren’t into the commentary on hand, but I found myself trying to explain why things were funny more than actually being able to enjoy the film myself. To say it was frustrating would be an understatement.
As a result, the film lands here in the sixth spot, and considering the five films that ranked above it, I don’t see this as anything other than its rightful place. The DVD just arrived for review and I can’t wait to watch it again, but I would just as soon watch any of the next five films as well.
I gave it a “B+” when I reviewed it back in May. I then took my mother to see it shortly thereafter and for some reason or another it didn’t hold up as well, but it still wound up as my #6 choice midway through the year. Paramount didn’t send me a review copy of the DVD or Blu-ray, but shortly after its DVD release they sent me an awards screener, which I promptly watched and the joy I experienced the first time began to creep back in. Then, I received the Blu-ray for Christmas and after one more viewing I just couldn’t get enough.
Earlier I said Avatar is a film I can’t wait to own on Blu-ray as a film to fall back on when no-brainer entertainment is needed… well, right now this film holds that slot and then some. Both films have one thing in common, however, which is a terrible storyline and Star Trek enjoys plot holes galore (something that will always come with time travel), but the characters and entertainment level of this film are off the charts. I can’t wait to see the sequel (are we talking 2012 or ’13 here?) if only to see Chris Pine as Captain Kirk and Karl Urban as Bones once again. I have always owned up to my love of the original “Star Trek” series and this film lived up to the characters created in the Gene Roddenberry’s sci-fi classic. Now if the sequel can deliver on story the same way this one delivers on characters and spectacle we may have something truly special in store.
By the way, am I the only one that thinks the trailer for this film I included just above is the absolute best trailer of the year? Every time I see it I want to watch the film again. That’s what trailers are supposed to do… right? And not give away the entire story as so many do nowadays?
