There is no doubt that Todd Haynes has high aspirations with 'I'm Not There', a biographical film based on the life Bob Dylan. Strangely, Dylan himself is not directly portrayed in the piece, instead six different incarnations of Dylan are symbolised through other characters, each representing a different aspect of his kaleidoscopic life and career. We have the young black actor Marcus Carl Franklin playing Woodie Guthrie as a young, travelling hobo version of Dylan, Christian Bale plays Jack Rollins -showcasing both Dylan's early political-folk career and later as a born again Christian, Cate Blanchett plays Jude Quinn as Dylan at the height of his fame when his original fan-base is rejecting him, Heath Ledger plays actor Robbie Clark - who himself plays Jack Rollins in a film within the film - representing Dylan the divorcee, Richard Gere is an aging Billie the Kid as Dylan searching for the roots of American Folklore, and finally, Ben Whishaw plays the young poet and rebel Arthur Rimbaud. Phew, are you still with me, I think I've even confused myself. The films itself flicks between these different characters in a semi-chronological order, it’s less confusing to watch than it is to explain.Different film stock and styles are used for each character's story to distinguish them easily which helps form each character well but there is most certainly an uneven balance between each character. Whishaw hardly stars, Gere only features very late on and Blanchett's Dylan seems to dominate in comparison. Her version is by far the most interesting and her performance is a fascinating watch, she perfectly encapsulates Bob, more so than any of her counterparts - a remarkable feat considering she is playing a member of the opposite sex. Without a doubt we get a view of many facets of Dylan, but the six depictions are so different that you find it hard to believe they are all parts of one whole. There is also a pretentious edge throughout and feel's like a large scale student film which has fallen closer to self-indulgence than entertainment. ‘Trying too hard’ is the overall impression, a film of Blanchett's Dylan alone may have been a more entertaining, if less fulfilling ride.
Verdict: If you're a fan of Dylan the soundtrack is a delight and you will doubtless be satisfied, if not you may be vaguely interested but little more.
THE COTTAGE
Paul Andrew Williams was lauded as 'the next big thing' in British cinema after his debut picture 'London To Brighton' arrived in 2006 to great critical reception. His follow-up feature as both writer and director is the horror-comedy 'The Cottage' starring Andy Serkis, Reece Shearsmith (of The League of Gentlemen fame), and Jennifer Ellison in her film debut. Serkis and Shearsmith play brothers, David and Peter, who kidnap Tracey (Ellison), the daughter of a crime boss and hide her in the titular cottage. Things start to take a turn for the worse as Tracey turns the tables on her captors and sets off with Peter into the strange countryside surroundings where they encounter The Farmer.
The Cottage’s main problem lies in striking the balance between horror and comedy effectively, it is hilarious in parts and the horror is solid when it eventually kicks in but there are very few occasions when it manages to pull both off at the same time. The obvious genre comparison is 'Shaun of the Dead' and when one remembers the effortless fusion of laughs, scares and emotion that Pegg and co achieved, The Cottage's flaws are magnified. However, although it may not be a classic it has the thrills and spills to constantly satisfy thanks to great casting and a simple yet effective plot. Jennifer Ellison is surprisingly entertaining, her foul-mouthed, angry and annoying Scouser is a joy, but one suspects this may be the limit of her acting capabilities. There is a little something for everyone here, it may not be ground-breaking, but it’s hard to find much to be too down about.
Verdict: This fine showcase of British talent is definitely worth a watch. However, rent don't buy, there's little to warrant a repeat viewing.
Paul Andrew Williams was lauded as 'the next big thing' in British cinema after his debut picture 'London To Brighton' arrived in 2006 to great critical reception. His follow-up feature as both writer and director is the horror-comedy 'The Cottage' starring Andy Serkis, Reece Shearsmith (of The League of Gentlemen fame), and Jennifer Ellison in her film debut. Serkis and Shearsmith play brothers, David and Peter, who kidnap Tracey (Ellison), the daughter of a crime boss and hide her in the titular cottage. Things start to take a turn for the worse as Tracey turns the tables on her captors and sets off with Peter into the strange countryside surroundings where they encounter The Farmer.The Cottage’s main problem lies in striking the balance between horror and comedy effectively, it is hilarious in parts and the horror is solid when it eventually kicks in but there are very few occasions when it manages to pull both off at the same time. The obvious genre comparison is 'Shaun of the Dead' and when one remembers the effortless fusion of laughs, scares and emotion that Pegg and co achieved, The Cottage's flaws are magnified. However, although it may not be a classic it has the thrills and spills to constantly satisfy thanks to great casting and a simple yet effective plot. Jennifer Ellison is surprisingly entertaining, her foul-mouthed, angry and annoying Scouser is a joy, but one suspects this may be the limit of her acting capabilities. There is a little something for everyone here, it may not be ground-breaking, but it’s hard to find much to be too down about.
Verdict: This fine showcase of British talent is definitely worth a watch. However, rent don't buy, there's little to warrant a repeat viewing.
THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES
'The Spiderwick Chronicles' was originally a series of popular children’s books by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black, the five books have been rolled into one for this year's Nickelodeon produced film. Freddie Highmore stars as twins Jared and Simon Grace, the former finding a field guide to magical creatures which when he takes outside, attracts the attention of the ogre Mulgarath (Nick Nolte) who wants it for himself. He must protect the book and all faerie-kind whilst trying to convince his family that he is telling the truth on an adventure which brings him face-to-face with goblins, trolls, brownies, hobgoblins, slyphs, griffins and some long-forgotten members of his own family (including the author of the field guide himself).
The film has everything for the kids, action, adventure, laughs, charming lead characters and a scary baddie - I would however question the PG rating, there are some parts that may just be too scary for young children and 12A might have been a more appropriate certificate. Highmore is terrific and is beginning to establish himself as one of the top child stars of his generation. He is presented with the tough task of playing twins but he rises to the challenge and delivers two fine performances at once, separating the two personas expertly. The film does rely too heavily on special effects which is a shame as otherwise it manages to sustain a genuine level of menace without losing its fun. There also seems to a lot of pointless adventuring for our protagonists but you can't grumble too much when they've managed to cut down five books into one film with an ideal 96-minute running time.
'The Spiderwick Chronicles' was originally a series of popular children’s books by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black, the five books have been rolled into one for this year's Nickelodeon produced film. Freddie Highmore stars as twins Jared and Simon Grace, the former finding a field guide to magical creatures which when he takes outside, attracts the attention of the ogre Mulgarath (Nick Nolte) who wants it for himself. He must protect the book and all faerie-kind whilst trying to convince his family that he is telling the truth on an adventure which brings him face-to-face with goblins, trolls, brownies, hobgoblins, slyphs, griffins and some long-forgotten members of his own family (including the author of the field guide himself).The film has everything for the kids, action, adventure, laughs, charming lead characters and a scary baddie - I would however question the PG rating, there are some parts that may just be too scary for young children and 12A might have been a more appropriate certificate. Highmore is terrific and is beginning to establish himself as one of the top child stars of his generation. He is presented with the tough task of playing twins but he rises to the challenge and delivers two fine performances at once, separating the two personas expertly. The film does rely too heavily on special effects which is a shame as otherwise it manages to sustain a genuine level of menace without losing its fun. There also seems to a lot of pointless adventuring for our protagonists but you can't grumble too much when they've managed to cut down five books into one film with an ideal 96-minute running time.
Verdict: One for the kids but at the same time not too difficult for an older audience to enjoy. It's better than most of the Potter's but be wary of showing it to children too young as there be scary goblins and whatnot! 
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