Bad Lieutenant, Robin Hood and 4.3.2.1

I was prepared for Bad Lieutenant to be a strange film as Werner Herzog had moved into mainstream territory. The first half was fine, but Nicholas Cage's descent into drug fuelled madness was accompanied by some weird hallucinations. But overall, this was a fine movie. A predictable story, but lots of good dialogue, and an amazing performance by the lead actor, with his cop living on the edge of disaster. Good support from Eva Mendes and, amazingly, Val Kilmer. What was he doing in a Werner Herzog film? Great fun.

Which is more than can be said of Robin Hood. Is it just me, or is this truly an awful movie? Where to start. I nearly walked out after an opening twenty minutes that was an embarrassment. There is a reasonable "re imagined " story line but the dialogue is some of the most hammy I have ever heard. The set piece action scenes are boring and in between only Cate Blanchett comes out with any credit. And oh yes, Mark Addy. A journeyman British TV actor steals the film with his performance as Friar Tuck. Easily the best thing about the movie. If only Russell Crowe had been watching, then his moody take on the lead role might have meant we could have warmed a little to his character. Instead he is completely unlovable. Nothing like the Robin Hood we know and love. He is too old for one thing and seemed uninterested for another. Perhaps all the blame should be the director's. Easily the worst movie Ridley Scott had the misfortune to choose.

Just as I was starting to think about the next film, I had a little chuckle. Because it is so far different from the last. Noel Clarke is trying his best to bring zip to the British thriller. But perhaps this movie is just too frenetic and trashy. He sometimes tries to emulate Tarantino with some hip dialogue and set pieces, but struggles to convince. The razor sharp editing is just too much, and the characters pretty vacant for all their street cred. So we are left with more cultured cameos from Ben Miller, Helen McCrory and Kevin Smith. But I did find it entertaining in a funny sort of way. The soundtrack is definitely cool, but not really my taste. And Noel Clarke is trying to make sort of intelligent, exciting movies for the younger generation and is definitely on the up. Go Noel.