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New Releases with Cyrus: "Never Let Me Go" and "Welcome to the Rileys"
NEVER LET ME GO (Blu-Ray and DVD)
After watching this 2010 sort-of science fiction film by director Mark Romanek, I'm not surprised at all that he credits Stanley Kubrick's, "2001: A Space Odyssey" as his inspiration to become involved in film. Much like that over-touted film, "Never Let Me Go" is coldly beautiful, yet also often lifeless and dull. Keira Knightly, Andrew Garfield, and Carey Mulligan play three (older) kids in a gilded cage; a seemingly idyllic English boarding school that in truth, is a prison for the young'uns. Truthfully, they are there as cloned versions of rich citizens whose entire existence is to eventually offer their organs up for transplant, as a sympathetic teacher reveals to the kids finally. The three leads, as they get older and approach their sell-by date, all deal with this knowledge of their inevitable demise differently, and be clear: metaphorically we're just talking about the death we all have to deal with some day. Hopes for loop holes and exceptions abound; rumors of 'deferral' to clones who can prove they're in love with each other lead to some interesting and complicated love triangle issues for the kids. But there's both a hope and a hopelessness to the proceedings, depending on your own feelings about death and the existence of a soul. I never felt that "Never Let Me Go" discussed any of the possible ramifications of either its science fiction situation (a tired one at this point, I think) or its philosophical bent any more than in a all-too-loosely implied sense, and with the characters ultimately making decisions in service to the plot rather than obviously how people would actually behave, I had nothing left to hold onto. Even with the haunting cinematography and excellent performances, the glacial pace and pointless character struggles representing humanity's own meanderings in the dark only evinced boredom from me. I suspect what you get out of "Never Let Me Go" is almost entirely only what you bring into it. I've certainly got films like that I love. This ain't one of 'em.
--CLICK HERE TO BUY Never Let Me Go [Blu-ray]
WELCOME TO THE RILEYS (Blu-Ray and DVD)
I'm all too willing to eat my words when appropriate. Seriously. Hell, more often than not, I'm positively stuffed with a diet of entire sentences I've mistakenly uttered. But I never, ever, EVER suspected that I'd have to choke down my assertions about the lack of Kristen Stewart's acting skills. And then along comes a movie like "Welcome to the Rileys" and I've gotta strap on my bib. James Gandolfini and Melissa Leo play the titular Doug and Lois Riley, a married couple whose relationship has become lifeless and frozen due to both of their reactions to the death of their daughter Emily. Doug is having an affair with a waitress and avoids home as much as he can. Lois is terrified to venture outside her front door, barely speaking to anyone outside of her sister. When Doug's waitress dies unexpectedly of a health-related issue, during a business trip to New Orleans, Doug finds himself unsure any longer who he is and what he wants. An encounter with Mallory (Stewart), an underage stripper in a dingy local club, where Doug only wants to pay her to talk to him, eventually leads to a cautious friendship between the two. He offers to help her with her various problems (of which are legion) by living with her in her ramshackle home and paying rent to sleep on the couch. Having been beaten by life at every turn, Mallory has no idea what to do with the concept of human kindness, as she continually, cynically, and angrily, waits for the other shoe to drop. And sure enough, it's not purely altruistic: Doug is healing himself by using Mallory to alleviate his guilt about the death of his own daughter. And then, taking a brave step to even leave the house, Lois shows up, and things go in a decidedly un-Hollywood manner. Stewart manages to show more range here than she has in all the rest of her films put together, Gandolfini confidently and convincingly steps away from the more aggressive roles he's become known for in the past, and Leo, as usual, is solidly unrecognizable from any other role she's played (that woman is a marvel, I swear). It was a pleasure watching characters this real acknowledge all the ramifications of such a complicated moral situation, and still come out of it on the other side in a positive manner. Uplifting without being manipulative or treacly, "Welcome to Rileys" is one of the nicest and unexpected feel-good movies I've seen in awhile.
--CLICK HERE FOR THE ORIGINAL SPILL.COM REVIEW
--CLICK HERE TO BUY Welcome to the Rileys [Blu-ray]
Comment
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Comment by PrinceCharming on May 18, 2011 at 4:58pm -
Just came out of Never let me go, and I cannot say that I liked it. For me the biggest problem is that the film spends half of its running time spelling out things you already know, which gets annoying really fast, especially if the dramatic music starts in a moment you are already waiting for them to go on.
Have to agree with Cyrus about the cinematography and the performances, but I did not feel that the character struggles were pointless.
If they would have just tightened up the script a lot, this would have been a great movie.
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Comment by Elias Mayo-Alvarez on March 22, 2011 at 1:58am -
i like Never Let Me Go a lot but i didn't get the end of the movie
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Comment by the Mindful Lunatic on March 21, 2011 at 2:29pm -
I liked Never let Me go a lot more than I thought I would, but I can't say I see the 2001 A Space Odyssey comparison at all. For most of the movie I was mildly into the story and the characters, but never completely engrossed, until the scene with Andrew Garfield towards the end, when he gets out of the car after meeting with the former "heads" of the school they attended, it really got me. I just can't say I would be inclined to watch it again. Welcome to the Rileys was pretty good, but I don't think it will be too memorable unless you're trying to defend Kristen Stewart in saying that she isn't a bad actress.
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Comment by Dr. Detfink on March 15, 2011 at 5:22am -
I remember the hype the book received because it was billed as "From the author of the Oscar award winning Remains of the Day..." and while I enjoyed the book, I didn't think it was possible to make such a film where the character's thoughts play such a heavy emphasis. Credit Mark Romanek for the powerful camerawork. Some of those shots felt like oil paintings. Not since Gattaca have I felt such a profound feeling using sci fi to say something rather than purely to entertain.
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Comment by Bella Muerte on March 14, 2011 at 4:37pm -
Wow, I thought Never Let Me Go was so good. I know it wasn't universally acclaimed, but I didn't find it lifeless or dull. It is a very cold experience though, which is why I liked it so much oddly enough lol And Welcome to the Rileys was great:)
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Comment by Dr. Detfink on March 14, 2011 at 6:30am
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Loved Never Let Me Go. Easily my top 5 films of 2010. I wish nothing but better things for Carey Mulligan who has an eye for good authors.
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Comment by Ryan42790 on March 13, 2011 at 12:31pm -
All the haters for Never Let Me Go, are completely wrong. You say that there actions only serve the plot? Alright i think you have seen too many movies, or you have a certain expectation of what human's are suppose to do, or what you would like them to do in order for you to 'like' them. Let me guess you felt that the character's should have 'escaped' or tried too, and thats how human's behave, that we always have this need to want to revolt when we are put down. Well, I think you are very amiss in thinking that the characters are suppose to be exactly like you and me.
"never felt that "Never Let Me Go" discussed any of the possible ramifications of either its science fiction situation (a tired one at this point, I think)" Okay you kind of contradicted yourself here, you say that you wanted them to discuss the science fiction aspects that are presented, but then you say it wouldn't have matter? What did you want? Blade Runner? Sure this movie has a science fiction set up, but like 'Children of Men' other than the set up the science fiction is minimal at best. So it's already unfair to even judge just as science fiction.
In the end I felt the movie was more true about human nature than most movies out there today.
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Comment by The Last Goldfish on March 13, 2011 at 6:37am -
yeah i felt the exact same about never let me go, i didnt see what all the fuss was bout
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Comment by NotTheWhosTommy on March 12, 2011 at 10:25pm -
I really loved Let Me Go, but wouldn't put it on a Top 20 of 2010 or anything.
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Comment by Rabid Scotsman on March 12, 2011 at 4:20pm -
I understand why you didn't like Never Let Me Go, but I stand with Carlyle. It was not only my second favorite movie of last year, it moved in a way films rarely do. For some reason, the message behind the film struck a chord with me. By the end, I was virtually in tears.
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