moviesareawayoflife

Along Came Polly came out back in 2004 and i have fond memories of this film. Starring Ben Stiller, Jennifer Aniston, Alec Baldwin, Philip Seymour-Hoffman and Bryan Brown this is a comedy which does what it says on the tin. After finding his wife cheating on him on his honeymoon Stiller finds love with Aniston who is the polar opposite of his uptight risk averse persona. Along Came Polly is full of great performances and moves at a brisk pace with a 90 minute run time. Seymour-Hoffman is the stand out performance elevating every scene he is in with unique comic timing and great one liners. Stiller plays Stiller, Aniston plays Aniston, and Baldwin and Brown are both great in support roles. Highlights of the film are the first date scenes, the basketball scene and Seymour-Hoffman presenting Stillers risk assessment of Brown at his firm. In truth Along Came Polly brings nothing new to the Rom-Com genre and is in reality light -hearted fluff. However, every time i watch the film i have a good time and it is always a fun re-visit. In conclusion Along Came Polly is a worthy addition to the Rom-Com genre and one of Stiller's best films. I can recommend this one.

In 1997 Kevin Costner directed and starred in The Postman, an epic film which aimed high and fell short. A box office dud it co-starred Will Patton, Olivia Williams, Giovanni Ribisi and Tom Petty. Set in a Post Apocalyptic America Costner plays a drifter who through circumstance becomes a symbol of hope and free speech. Costner's performance is ok in the film but in reality his character is not that interesting. Williams, Ribisi and Petty do what they have to but the real star of the film is Patton. Every time he is on screen he elevates the film portraying a brutal and evil leader with little moral compass. The Postman looks great, it is beautifully photographed and shot and you sense that Costner is really going for the full epic look. Action scenes are well done and the musical score is good. Unfortunately the screenplay is not interesting enough to warrant the 3 hour running time as there is not enough content in the story. The result of this is a middle third which feels painfully slow and drags the film down. The Postman these days is a curio film, one which is often slated but perhaps not as bad as its reputation suggests. Ultimately Costner gave us an interesting experimental film which is solid entertainment though painfully slow paced and a bit dull.

The Vikings was made way back in 1958, and starred Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis, Ernest Borgnine and Janet Leigh. With sweeping cinematography, exciting action scenes and classic actors this is a film still worthy of a watch today. Kirk Douglas gives a strong performance as the Viking Prince, Janet Leigh provides natural beauty and Tony Curtis is very effective as the disgraced slave. All are outshone however by Ernest Borgnine who gives a great performance as the Viking king. When the action comes it is well done, however this is a 1958 film so model work is evident and there are obvious restrictions. The story does try and develop characters but at 2 hours long at times the pacing can come across as a little sluggish in places. The final battle scene and ensuing 1 on 1 sword fight are fantastic, well shot with a touch of poignancy. Ultimately The Vikings is a film from a bygone era, the likes of which are not made now, and is certainly a good solid watch which kept me entertained.