S P U N

Mena Suvari & Brittany Murphy in a scene from the film

What I like about Spun is that it portrays the awful side to the life of drug taking/dealing that puts you off ever wanting to become a part of that world as well as adding some humor to the genre which you don't often see. Drug films are often so in your face and off-putting that it can make you feel ill & depressed. So it was nice to see a film that didn't indulge in the ugly side of the drug world as much.

Spun spans three days in the life of Ross, (Schwartzman) a young guy hooked on speed who visits his dealer and then chaos ensues. We are introduced to an abundance of characters and some bizarre events occur.

This film really does have an amazing cast; Brittany Murphy, John Leguizamo (that guy who played Tybalt in Luhrman's Romeo & Juliet), Mickey Rourke and the amazing Deborah Harry (who plays Ross' dyke neighbour/phone sex worker - brilliant!) All actors are perfect in their roles and seeing Murphy as the bubbly Nikki makes you feel a little sad that she died so young because it really does remind you how good of an actor she was.

Spun doesn't shy away from your typical drug style film editing. There's the fast paced scenes when Ross is waiting for his next hit & then the chill that follows once he has snorted the speed, the extreme close up shots; in particular the eyes when they dilate (reminiscent of Requiem For A Dream), and just simple things like make-up (Mena Suvari's teeth are a great example, oh boy are they gross).

I did enjoy Spun, it wasn't your stereotypical druggie film. I like that there was humorous moments i.e. the cops from the over-the-top 'Bust' show.

Of course the fact that Jason Schwartzman was in it also made it all the more appealing. It's not a typical role for him but he still manages to do an excellent job and still look babe'n (in a 'speed freak' kinda way).

Rating: 4/5

B U R L E S Q U E

Cher... she may be getting old but that girl's still got it

I am never hesitant to raise my hand to the fact that I am a fan of the fabulous Cher. For me it started as a young girl hearing the single Believe; I woke up early every morning to watch Rage waiting for that clip to come on. Later I would receive a Cher: Greatest Hits album on my 12th birthday and go on to create dance routines to such classics as Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves, The Beat Goes On and many more. Another great thing about Cher is she is an incredible actor. Some of my favourite films she has starred in are Mask and Mermaids.

So my point to this is I was pretty excited about the release of Burlesque, (but not excited enough to see it at the cinema or rush to see it when it was released on DVD... ok so my love for her isn't as strong as when I was playing with Barbies) and watched it in preparation for my film based radio show* this week. The topic being, Musicals.

So what did I think about Cher starring alongside Christina Aguilera in the end... Not much really. Sadly I was a little disappointed. The storyline had been overdone, small town girl with big dreams moves to the city and tries at nothing to pursue her dream of becoming a singer/dancer... The storyline may have been lacking but the songs and dancing were what kept me watching this film. It really stuck to the Musical genre, not holding back on the show tunes. Most of the songs started to sound the same, but a few of the numbers where quite good. Sadly Cher only performed in two songs though... boo!

I hate to say it but I was distracted throughout Burlesque often playing Fruit Ninja on my phone and I paused it about three times to go and do other things. Look I'm a GenY girl with a short attention span; you just gotta keep me entertained is all I'm saying. And lets face it, Christina Aguilera is pretty painful and to see her playing the sweet girl next door type in this film is even more aggravating. As much as I love you Cher you just didn't save this one for me!

Rating: 1/5

*Yes, I have a radio show now. A little guiltless promotion on the side: http://syn.org.au/program/ellys-film-review