Sunday 4 September 2011

Film: Attack the Block

Wow, what a disappointment. I've been waiting to watch this film all year, and really had to twist my boyfriend's arm as he hates Nick Frost. As it is, Nick Frost isn't in it that much. And he's not even part of the problem.
I can't understand how this film got so many good reviews. Where do I start listing the things that were wrong with it? How about with the two dimensional female 'character' who we're meant to believe lives on a council estate, even though she talks like she's the romantic lead in a Richard Curtis film. She's meant to be a nurse, she talks like Pippa fucking Middleton (not that you ever hear that cunt talk - except out of her arse). She has no personality whatsoever; she's just fucking wet. It's really, really disappointing. Aren't we a bit beyond that kind of characterisation for women now? I suppose I should count myself lucky there's even a girl in it. They could have had someone really quirky or cool in it and made you really get behind them.
It is kind of annoying that we're expected to be on the side of this imbecilic group of chavs who talk like posh white people think chavs talk. 'Allow it'? It really is bare mockeries. Why are there no girls in the gang? The girlfriends of the gang are barely featured, and are sitting in a pink room when it does cut to them. Fucking hell.
Some of the gang are quite good actors, and seem almost realistic, and the main gang has some quirky characters at least, but I just didn't really like them. But Nick Frost is impotent, the posh student bloke is just cliched, and the police all talk like... well, like police talk in films, but not in real life.
I didn't think the script was much good either, it wasn't funny, or scary enough. In fact it made me think of Misfits, and how witty and intelligently written it is, and how non-patronisingly it treats youth culture. And also a lesson in how important it is to really love and care for your characters. Look at the way Kelly in Misfits is written compared to the female in this film. I was personally hoping she'd die.
The aliens themselves make the langoliers look progressively animated. It's literally a dude in a gorilla suit with some glow in the dark fangs on. Very disappointing.
This film has got to be one of the biggest anti-climaxes of the year. There's really no excuse. I love Adam and Joe so much, and with Joe Cornish's blatant film snobbery, I expected this to be top quality. I know I'm fussy, but this just didn't do it for me. I like films set in London, and films on a budget, but I think the characters just weren't up to scratch.
Super 8 was also a major disappointment. I need a decent alien movie in my life, fast.

2 comments:

Mattpuma said...

Hi, I really enjoy reading your blogs but I feel I have to pick you up on something. You are always talking about treating women with respect including in this blog but you then go on to describe Pippa Middleton using the C word. I am sure if a man had done that you would find it offensive. I dont have a problem with the use of derogatory terms but its a double standard to criticize men for this and then do it yourself.
That said, keep up the blogs, they are generally excellent and usually make me chuckle.

lightupvirginmary said...

Hello :) I appreciate you picking me up on that, as it's something people have said to me before. Personally, I like the 'c' word, and I don't find it offensive if a man uses it, but I know a lot of people do find it very offensive. There are some other words I do feel like that about though, 'pussy' I really hate, and 'slag' etc. I find cunt quite gender neutral these days. But it is just a matter of personal taste and I do like a good swear up. But you're right, she isn't really a cunt. Just a bore!

I really appreciate your comments- good and bad. Thanks. :)