Posted by EclecticEnnui
Wednesday, May 20, 2009 at 8:33pm

In case you're wondering what the title is based on, it's the name of the new boat Ian and Terry give, at the beginning of the movie. The name is Terry's idea, as it was picked from one of his winning dogs at a race track. While we quickly get into Terry's gambling problem, the boat isn't seen again until the end.

Ian and Terry are two grown-up brothers living a rather quiet life in London, England. Ian wants to invest in hotels, and Terry works as a mechanic. At one point, I was beginning to wonder if the movie was going to go anywhere, because there's nothing really interesting with these two brothers, that is, until Terry loses a great deal of money while gambling. At the same time, a rich uncle named Howard needs them to kill someone so Howard won't go to jail, even though Ian and Terry aren't criminals. As the saying goes, "Now, we're talking."

I've only seen a handful of Woody Allen's films, so there's no point in me going on about how or if this film is different. What I do know about Allen is his approach to actors. He treats them like cattle or small children, and it works very well, according to the book Five Stars! How to Become a Film Critic, the World's Greatest Job. Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell as the two brothers are definitely good, here. My main problems with the film are the lack of excitement and the familiarity of it. The film is not necessarily predictable, but it's not fresh, and sort of has this "blah" feeling to it. Don't get me started on the beginning, again.

There are some scenes I particularly liked. When Ian and Terry are following their target to kill, it's suspenseful. Anything could go wrong, since the two haven't done this before, and the person may notice them. I laughed a few times at the dialogue, so the film is not without humour. Lines are occasionally repeated seemingly at random, like, "Don't lecture me."

One last thing that's worth a quick note is the opening credits. As soon as it begins, Philip Glass' brooding score immediately gets us going. It's just too bad the rest of the movie didn't keep me that way. Nevertheless, it held my attention. Wherever Woody Allen decides to go next after making this and his irresistible Vicky Cristina Barcelona, I'll be there.

7/10

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