My Cinematic Alphabet: In Depth - G

What is it, like week 7 of this series? I hope you're all enjoying it so far. Make sure you're up to date with A-F before we start. If your new to this feature it's a simple principle: the So I Saw This Film teams favourite films for each letter. Bring on the G;s....

Gladiator

You can never really overlook a film that won five Oscars including Best Actor and Best Picture in these types of lists, nor one that was nominated for pretty much every other award. The film brought Russell Crowe his only Oscar to date, proving that it is in fact his greatest performance, even though I have enjoyed some of his recent films including State Of Play and The Next Three Days, the latter of which you'll find a review for on this site. Another of his greatest roles was in American Gangster which featured when I looked in depth at the best films for the letter A. The music is divine and Hans Zimmer proves his genius again. You can't not have seen this.

The Green Mile

The Green Mile is one of the most emotionally evocative films out there and proved to be another hit for lead man Tom Hanks. It is a hugely successful and popular films and remains a timeless classic full of wonder. I don't think any of these lists haven't featured Tom Hanks thus far!

The Godfather

How could this not feature? For me it's not as perfect a film as it is made out to be but when you're talking about The Godfather not being perfect it still manages to be one of the most well known and best loved films of all time. Number 2 in the IMDb Top 250 only to the Shawshank Redemption (which I've never understood). 'Say hello to my little friend!'
(P.S. Godfather II and III both should be up here but I'm classing them all under the Godfather)

Gran Torino

I didn't think I'd enjoy this film all that much when I first saw it advertised. It looked like it was just an opportunity for Clint Eastwood to make a film about himself that nobody would really be able to relate to. Well I was wrong. I admit it. He manages to kick major ass despite being grey and proves once again that he is both a world-class actor and sublime director.

Grosse Pointe Blank

A slick and stylish John Cusack film that may not be for everyone but is certainly for us. The film features one of the best all time soundtracks (I'm begining to sound like the Cusack from High Fidelity now). Check this one out.

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My Cinematic Alphabet: In Depth - F

Hot Tub Time Machine (2010)

Cheap Rip-off - 2.5/5

So I saw this film a minute ago called 'Hot Tub Time Machine' and I think the film epitomises the word 'unimaginative'. For starters, its a buddy film about some guys trying to reconnect by going back to their teenage party hot spot (images of 'Grown Ups' were already in my head by this point) who then manage to go back in time due to some illegal Russian energy drink and have to try not to change the past but do anyway and somehow all come off the better. And breath.

What made this film even worse for me was the stupid links to the brilliant 'Back To The Future' which I found simply shameful. The film features the talents of Crispin Glover who you will remember as George McFly in the film from 1985. This was a pretty poor role for Glover who, if he had any sense' should have stayed well clear of this one. Add to this the inclusion of a teenager who begins to fade away because he may not have been born by the end of the film and Craig Robinson performing a song from the future and you will see where I'm coming from.

The only part of this film that I actually enjoyed was that it didn't take itself too seriously and, at times, it made jokes at its own expense. But then, if you're going to make a film that you yourself would take the piss out of for being predictable and unbelievable at the same time, why make it? I was expecting the like this one, mainly due to the main man being John Cusack who I have been a fan of since the days of 'Grosse Pointe Blank' back in 1997 in which he played the timelessly cool character Martin Blank. I find it such a shame that his career has descended to the point where he has to star in a very poor 'Back To The Future' rip off. '2012' didn't do too much better either. I hope he comes back with something that will blow us away again because I want to like everything he is in. Unfortunately it was impossible to get on board with 'Hot Tub Time Machine'. It was a cheap rip-off and a joke.

Would I recommend it? Not for one second.