Cinema Review: Gravity - A Modern Masterpiece?

Rated: 12A
Run time: 91 mins
Synopsis: A medical engineer and an astronaut work together to survive after an accident leaves them adrift in space.

Verdict: Starting the film simply with a view of Earth from hundreds of miles above and our protagonists floating through space in the distance lets you in for exactly what the next hour-and-a-half will bring. The silence builds up tension right from the off, with the only noise coming faintly from their communications with mission control back down on Earth. In a weird way this fills you with a sense of claustrophobia despite the practically infinite space surrounding Dr Ryan Stone and Matt Kowalski. Listen out as closely as you can at this point though as major details about the mission are revealed through the muffled speakers.

I might as well talk about the visuals first, seen as that is what everyone is nattering about having seen this film, and yes they are out of this world! At some points, being as much of a novice as I am on space and everything related to it, I actually felt like I was watching a documentary. The fact that none of the effects ever look obviously green-screened is testament to Cuaron's 4-year production on this film as well as the ever-improving technologies available. Whilst most films post-converted into 3D can look a bit heavy handed and detract from the overall experience, Gravity is clearly the rare exception. With the images maintaining their clarity, even during scenes where shrapnel comes flying into your face, it is truly a sight to behold. See it on the biggest screen possible in 3D for the full effect. Even if it doesn't receive awards attention for much else, at the very least it should win every technical award going. 

Without going into the story too much - as that would spoil some of the major plot turns, never mind the ending - Sandra Bullock's performance as Dr Ryan Stone (apparently her Dad wanted a boy) is simply mesmerising. With the film acting more as a character study rather than some generic lost in space sci-fi movie, she took on no mean feat. As we learn more and more as the story goes on about her character's life, particularly as she's on the verge of losing all hope, you only become more gripped as the stakes raise and you really want to see her pull through her struggle for survival. However brief George Clooney's appearance may be, he also did a decent job - even if it seems as though he's taken a leaf out of Buzz Lightyear's book(even sounding weirdly like him!). 

Whilst the script may feel a bit like it's just one blatantly spelt out catastrophe after another, you don't really care because of the beautiful visuals and breathtaking, heartbreaking performances leaving the audience completely awe-struck.

4/5

Cinema Review - Kick Ass 2 (15, 103 Mins)

Synopsis: The costumed high-school hero Kick-Ass joins with a group of normal citizens who have been inspired to fight crime in costume. Meanwhile, the Red Mist plots an act of revenge that will affect everyone Kick-Ass knows.

Verdict: with the first film becoming an instant cult classic (and one of my favourite films) my expectations were probably unreasonably high which resulted in me being slightly disappointed by this run of the mill sequel. 

Chloe Grace Moretz, the breakout star of the first film, is probably the best thing about this film. She gets some of the best lines (look out for a fresh twist on her use of the C-word!) and a lot of the action, even without her guise for the majority of the film, so much so that Kick-Ass feels almost sidelined for half of the film. That is until things turn particularly bleak.

Whilst I acknowledge that the conclusion of the first film meant the sequel would be darker, I didn't think it would go as far as it did. The demise of a couple of central characters (I won't go any further than that, normally I avoid potential spoilers but in this case I felt I had to make the point) upset one woman sitting behind me so much that she was crying. For this reason it didn't necessarily feel like a Kick-Ass movie at a couple of points, the deaths didn't feel as darkly comic as in the first one. However this was only the case at a few points throughout. On the whole there were plenty of laughs, particularly thanks to Hit Girl's "adventures" in high school.

My only other main qualm with this film was the violence. I don't want to sound like some sadistic animal by saying this but in my opinion it wasn't extreme enough. When you look back at the first film there were so many extremely bloodthirsty scenes (the first encounter with Hit girl and Big Daddy, the human microwave - the list goes on). Here however there was a lot more hand-to-hand combat, that whilst was technically brilliant lacked the edginess of the violence in the first film. It made me feel like it was much more committee led and wanted to make a quick buck with something less edgy and much more toned down than the comic book.

While it would be ear impossible to match the sheer originality and out-thereness of the first, I couldn't help but feel this was a moderately wasted opportunity creatively in an attempt to grab a bit of cash. Saying that though there was still fun to be had here for a couple of hours and with an ending as wide open as it was I'd welcome a Hit Girl spin-off with open arms!

3/5

Cinema Review - The World's End (15, 109 Mins)

Synopsis: Five friends who reunite in an attempt to top their epic pub crawl from 20 years earlier unwittingly become humankind's only hope for survival.

Verdict: it doesn't necessarily cover any new ground there is plenty of humour here along with some great action to make it one of the better films of this summer.

Starting off as a slow burner there wasn't really a lot going on for the first 30 minutes or so other than introducing characters. Whilst this means that it takes time before The World's End gets going, an excellent screenplay results in much greater character development than many other recent comedies (although I liked I Give It A Year, just showing that a character doesn't like compacting rubbish in the bin does not make her evolved or relatable). Therefore whilst many jokes are made at the mental fragility of Simon Pegg's central character you feel almost heartbroken for him at points when you see how hard life has been for him. Plot threads like this helped to make for a very well-rounded film, more so than audiences may have initially been expecting from a film about an alien invasion in pubs. 

The cast here is as excellent as the other instalments in the Cornetto trilogy. Nick Frost has surprisingly more to work with as the story progresses than in his other roles where he was more of a bashful assistant. As a result I'd regard this as one of his best performances to date. Rosamund Pike also pleasantly surprised with good comic timing. Given I'd only really seen her before in action movies like Jack Reacher I wasn't sure how she'd bear up against such comedic talent but she really held her own. The rest of the cast were also great and several cameos from other famous faces worked well too.

One of the only flaws with this was probably mis-marketing due to the fact that it was billed as a comedy. Whilst this definitely did have some funny moments, was it as witty and gag-filled as Shaun Of The Dead and Hot Fuzz? No. In my opinion it came off as more of an action movie with several brilliantly choreographed fight scenes - Edgar Wright clearly learned a lot from directing Scott Pilgrim. Many of the laughs and running gags were more chuckle worthy than laugh out loud funny.

Whilst it may not be quite as strong as the first two films, The World's End is still definitely a fitting end to the trilogy with plenty of nods back to them throughout making it a must see for any fans of Shaun Of The Dead and Hot Fuzz.

4/5

Cinema Review - Now You See Me (12A, 115 Mins)

Synopsis: An FBI agent and an Interpol detective track a team of illusionists who pull off bank heists during their performances and reward their audiences with the money.

Verdict: this is definitely a film that needs to be seen to be believed but don't watch too closely - just sit back, relax and enjoy.

As proven by previous heist movies, such as the Ocean's trilogy, the cast need to have good chemistry for the audience to enjoy the film. Now You See Me has this in bucketloads with Jesse Eisenberg and Isla Fisher really vibing off of each other after their previous partnership. The tension between them is palpable with Woody Harrelson providing the right balance of charm to Eisenberg's smarm, which really helps to keep the audience hooked as the plot progresses and the stakes heighten. Also who knew that Dave Franco was such a good actor? For me he really shined amongst such a star-studded cast that could've dwarfed him very easily.

The plot is the only hindrance here. What starts out as a very straight-forward heist movie spirals out of control as the movie progresses with several twists that you won't see coming. Whilst this makes the film a breath of fresh air from most of the other releases this summer, some of the implausibilities and conveniences (Eisenberg putting trackers on everyone involved in the performance... really?) may leave some unimpressed. It also resulted in a slightly anti-climactic ending which was disappointing given that I was hooked from the very start - Fisher's very first trick had me on the edge of my seat! Despite this there's a lot of fun to be had thanks to some ingenious uses of magic tricks such as firing playing cards as weapons.

If you're looking for a couple of hours of escapist fun this summer you could do far, far worse than Now You See Me - just don't go expecting an intelligent drama.

4/5

Cinema Review - Man Of Steel (12A, 143 Mins)

Synopsis: A young itinerant worker is forced to confront his secret extraterrestrial heritage when Earth is invaded by members of his race.

Verdict: this is a significant improvement over the disappointing Superman Returns however that's not to say that it's a perfect instant classic.

The problem that this film was always going to suffer was associations and comparisons to other superhero movies. Despite being produced by Christopher Nolan it was nowhere near as dark as his Batman trilogy, it doesn't have the uber-violence of Zack Snyder's Watchmen nor does it have the sizzling sexual tension found between Tony and Pepper in the Iron Man films - so where does this film fit into the pack? Whilst now and again coming across as a rather generic sci-fi movie (primarily in the early scenes on Krypton, not helped by Russell Crowe's very posh English accent), Superman is not a human who become as superhero, he is an alien trying to find solitude amongst humans. By focusing more upon this aspect, Man of Steel takes a while to get it's feet off the ground but once it does it really soars.

The first hour is a very slow burn here. The story takes us from a ridiculously OTT but nonetheless stunning apocalypse of planet Krypton where Superman's birth is dwelled upon for too long. At this point I was worried that it looked too much like a naff sci-fi (something I'm not particularly a fan of) because of glaringly obvious green screen. 

It's not until Zod comes to Earth that things really get going. He is the real fun in this movie and whilst his reign of terror isn't exactly in a league with The Joker, it prevented this from being bland and even though the backstory is a little overlong it does provide good reason for why he does what he does. With some spectacular set pieces chronicaling the destruction of Earth, your blood will really get pumping. The only flaw here is the overly prolonged final showdown between Zod and Superman (or should I say Hopeman?) that lasts near enough 10 minutes. Whilst it is still exciting, you can't help but shake the feeling that you know how it's going to end anyway - they're not exactly going to kill off Superman when Warner Bros. want a new franchise out of this.

It is clear that this is being used to try and entice people back for more. With as brilliant an actress as Amy Adams playing Lois Lane you'd expect her to have more to do here and have good chemistry with Henry Cavill. Instead she just runs around after him for a couple of hours and it's not until the final scenes when we see a glimmer of what to expect in the now confirmed sequel featuring Batman! 

Throughout you get the feeling that this was really only intended to be the start of a new franchise. With a distinct focus on Superman's origins the action doesn't really get going until the final hour or so, meaning that 143 minutes does feel like a bit of a slog at points. However there's still plenty of fun to be had here and signs of even greater things to come.

4/5

Cinema Review - Despicable Me 2 (PG, 98 Mins)

Synopsis: Gru is recruited by the Anti-Villain League to help deal with a powerful new super criminal.

Verdict: as a massive fan of the first film I had been anticipating this for months, more so than most of the other big summer releases, and it definitely didn't disappoint!

Following on from the first film with Gru now being a good guy I wondered where the film could go. The novel idea here was really incorporating the minions into the storyline more without it being a detriment to the central characters. The twists that the plot takes mean that unlike Scrat in the Ice Age films they don't feel like they've been dropped in for no apparent reason so it flows very well and it isn't overlong so by the end it doesn't feel like schtik that's been worn thin (watch out for a rendition of YMCA that should have you in fits of laughter!). 

The excellent voice cast involved help to bring the energy to the film. With comedy stars Steve Carell and Kristen Wiig involved you are guaranteed good comic timing with energetic charm. The three sisters are the heart of these movies though and are as sugary sweet as in the first one, even if they are given a little less to do this time despite there being a questionable love interest for Margo - there is another brilliant gag involving their soft-toy unicorn despite the fact we don't hear the classic "it's so fluffy I'm gonna die" line again.

As ever there is the 3D or not 3D question here. For the most part I didn't notice it add anything to the visuals and if anything dulled the vibrant, colourful visuals and made some scenes slightly blurry as though the 3D was rushed and therefore a bit botched. However there are some scenes, particularly in the end credits that were clearly intended to be seen in 3D with objects flying at you and all sorts. The animation still looks smooth and incredibly detailed though.

Whilst some of the originality of the first film has been lost, it is still laugh out loud funny and the introduction of some new characters keeps things fresh so that it doesn't suffer from the "Hangover Part 2" effect of being a complete rehash. Definitely a must see for fans of the first film.

4.5/5

Cinema Review - The Place Beyond the Pines (15, 140 Mins)

Synopsis: A motorcycle stunt rider turns to robbing banks as a way to provide for his lover and their newborn child, a decision that puts him on a collision course with an ambitious rookie cop navigating a department ruled by a corrupt detective.

Verdict: this film may well be one of the best examples of late of a film that has been mis-sold in its marketing, which portrayed it as the Drive/Blue Valentine-esque film that many were expecting. Whilst this may not have been an issue if it was different in a good way, this is majorly flawed. What we have here is a film of three acts - the first based on Ryan Gosling's motorcycle stunt driver, the second on Bradley Cooper's policeman and the third on their two children 15 years later.

The first act is the real strong point here. As ever Ryan Gosling's performance is mesmerising however I am getting the feeling that he's just playing the same role over and over again (socially awkward stunt driver). You really feel heartbroken for his character though as he desperately tries to be a part of his child's life. The bank robbery scenes are very tense and the final payoff has a properly WTH ending that leaves you wondering what could possibly happen next.

After this it all goes downhill. Whilst Bradley Cooper is going from strength to strength he's been given so little to do here that, looking back on his act now a couple of weeks later, very little of it stands out in my mind. The whole crooked cop thing has been done so many times before and without an original twist on the subject, it feels like you've seen it all before. 

The third act is where this film dangerously wavers on the line between artistic indie movie and pretentious nothingness. The main problem is that the two sons are so unlikeable that you don't really care what happens to them. Add on top of that the fact that they were brought together by such random conveniences that it all just seems a bit too ridiculous to ring true. Many people may also disagree with the message this film appears to be trying to put out, that children who don't grow up with their fathers end up being wasters. On the plus side Dane DeHaan proves himself as a rising star.

This was clearly intended to be a performance led film and whilst that works in its favour for the first hour or so, 2 hours and 20 minutes is a stretch too far - especially given that everyone has been given so little to do.

The main flaw with this film is that it starts out so strongly before meandering into such an anti-climax that makes you wonder if such an emotionally draining film was actually worth all the time invested. Ryan Gosling's first act saves it from being a total disaster though. 

Cinema Review - Fast and Furious 6 (12A, 130 Mins)

Synopsis: Hobbs has Dom and Brian reassemble their crew in order to take down a mastermind who commands an organization of mercenary drivers across 12 countries. Payment? Full pardons for them all.

Verdict: going into a Fast and Furious film you know exactly what you're going to get - 2 hours of very well choreographed, OTT car chases.

Whilst I'd only seen the first two films in the franchise, this did not detract from enjoying this one despite the fact that my friend had to fill me in on a little bit of backstory. This may be partly down to the fact that there wasn't really much of a plot. For the most part the main plot thread was a pretty cheesy love story and constant references to how they're all family. Despite the fact that some of these scenes left me thinking "do you want some burger with that cheese?", on the whole they were few and far between and actually went some way to humanising the characters and making you care about them.

One of the areas where this film really excels is in the comedy. There were some laugh out loud moments to be had - largely thanks to Roman and Tej larking about. 

Some of the action was literally breath taking, especially in the last 30 minutes  involving a tank AND an aeroplane - as much action as may be found in two instalments of most other franchises. All of this culminates with a bang and the post-credits cliffhanger promises a lot more where that came from. If I say any more about the action set pieces then I may give away some pretty major spoilers.

One of the only flaws with this film is its length. 2 hours and 20 minutes of car chases and explosions was just a teeny bit over-long. Whilst this didn't make it much less enjoyable the mid-section did drag on a little bit.

If bang for your buck is what you're looking for then you're guaranteed a good time!

4/5

Favourite Films of 2013... So Far

So we're just over half way through the year now - what are everyone's favourite films yet this year. As ever this is based upon UK release dates from 1st January to the 30th June!

Film lover Drew Cox said
"Django Unchained cus it has it all"

Film lover Sarah Beattie said
"Oz The Great And Powerful closely followed by The Great Gatsby. The effects were really good and the storyline was really entertaining plus James Franco is still very fanciable. Gatsby came 2nd because of  how underused the epic soundtrack was but the storyline was still very good and moving."

Film lover Emma Duguid said
"Django Unchained cos it's class"

Film lover Laura Le Jeune said
"Despicable Me 2 because it looks awesome!"

Fellow film blogger Caty Alexandre had various options for her favourite film of 2013 thus far
Side Effects
Trance
Iron Man 3
Django Unchained
"I am always so indecisive about what I like more"

Film lover Louise Harris said
"Les Miserables because it is just so freaking awesome and the music is AMAZING!!
And Despicable Me 2 is so funny I'm gonna die"

My top 5 favourite films from the first half of 2013 (in order of preference) you MUST check out:
1. Les Miserables

2. Despicable Me 2

3. Iron Man 3

4. The Great Gatsby

5. Django Unchained

Cinema Review - The Hangover Part III (15, 100 Mins.)

Synopsis: When one of their own is kidnapped by an angry gangster, the Wolf Pack must track down Mr. Chow, who has escaped from prison and is on the lam.

Verdict: After the critical mauling of part 2 it was a given that this one would have to change up the format to have any chance at success. The most major flaw here though is that the weight of the film is placed upon the shoulders of Alan and Mr. Chow. Whilst Zachary Gafilianakis embraces the socially inept Alan with gusto, getting one of the biggest laughs of the film in a scene alongside Melissa McCarthy, his character is a bit of a one trick pony. Mr. Chow was hilarious in small doses in the first two films but grows tiresome through the duration of this film's never ending cat and mouse chase. This may be because Todd Phillips seems to have not been able to decide whether or not the audience is supposed to love or hate him. 

By beginning with a funeral, this film is taken off into a much darker direction. This revenge fuelled action has meant that laughs have been very badly sidelined. Whilst there are some great comedy set pieces (especially during the Wolfpack's return to Las Vegas) it can be argued that it has kind of been mis-sold in the promotions and that the essence of the original has been lost. Despite the fact that there were some decent action sequences to entertain you when there's a lack of comedy, it started to get repetitious and dragged on a little bit - if it was even just 10 minutes shorter that may have helped.

Throughout this film Bradley Cooper looks a bit like he really doesn't want to be there. Whether it's because his career has taken of to the extent that he doesn't really need this franchise anymore or that his character seems to have been more sidelined in this one, he looks bored throughout which tells you all you need to know about this film - especially when the best moment comes right at the very end during the credits.

This is clearly the most notable example of franchise fatigue of late. However it does have to be commended for being more experimental than part 2, even if it is significantly more devoid of laughs.

3/5

Cinema Review - The Great Gatsby (12A, 143 Mins)

Synopsis: A Midwestern war veteran finds himself drawn to the past and lifestyle of his millionaire neighbor.

Verdict: It's no mean feat attempting to translate F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel to the screen. Previous attempts have crashed and burned and this is definitely the most successful attempt thus far. 

I'm going to start by mentioning the epic soundtrack. A lot of the media coverage of this film has been deservingly focused on it with Jay-Z helping an eclectic mix of current artists - highlights including Lana Del Ray's "Young and Beautiful", Florence and the Machine's "Over the Love", Sia's "Kill and Run", Will.I.Am's "Bang Bang" and Fergie's "A Little Party Never Killed Nobody". Some have complained about the bombardment of Jay-Z over proceedings being distracting. In fact I found that the soundtrack was criminally underused, with Lurrhman opting to use instrumentals of several songs instead quite often. Essentially go and grab a copy of the soundtrack NOW... you won't regret it!

The acting from the majority of the cast felt like a real strong point. Tobey Maguire's portrayal of Nick Carraway was powerful. He managed to pull off making Nick a likeable character, no mean feat given that some audience members could have found him to be vapid and weak for just standing and witnessing so much adultery without doing anything. Whilst some found the scenes tagged on at the Sanitarium cliched, I think they helped to enhance his character by showing how deeply affected he was by the events of that summer. Whilst Joel Edgerton seemed to be having a blast as the moustache twirlingly horrid Tom, the real star of the show here is Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby. Despite the fact that his mispronunciation of 'old sport' was slightly grating, he's certainly experienced at playing lovelorn men and manages to carry the air of mystery surrounding his character with ease. Carey Mulligan was likeable but her portrayal of Daisy as being wounded was slightly misconstrued given that in reality her character's a superficial bitch!

Whilst Lurhmann's directorial style shone in "Romeo and Juliet" & "Moulin Rouge", his constant bombardment of the audience with the novel's metaphors was blatant and distracting at some points (constantly panning back to the billboard... really?!). You can tell he is a fan of the source material but his loyalty to spelling out each and every one felt slightly condescending. Despite this, it was the first hour with all of the party scenes where style over substance feels like a real treat - 'the orgy scene' at the city apartment is one of the real highlights here, starting off with wild antics and some humour before ending with (quite literally) a crashing blow. 

At many points, the film seemed almost slavish to the book by quoting it frequently throughout the screenplay and lines from the it being plastered across the screen. In the final hour this is one of the ways by which the film excels. However the altered ending lost any of the subtlety of the book in favour of attempting to turn it into more of tragic love story than Fitzgerald's source material, which was first and foremost a portrayal of life in the roaring '20s. I felt this was an unnecessary hindrance and made me question whether this was the fault of studio's corporate greed trying to appeal to a teenage market that hadn't read the book and hold tragedies such as Titanic in high regard! By focusing on Gatsby and Daisy, the blossoming relationship between Nick and Jordan was lost in the ether - a shame since Elizabeth Debicki stole every scene she was in.

Whilst it's far from perfect, slightly losing the essence of the legendary source material through Baz Lurrhman's OTT style, it's still visually arresting, gripping way to spend two and a half hours.

4/5

What I Watched Last Week ( 29th April-5th May)

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
I missed this at the cinema and whilst the same grandeur and spectacle cannot be translated quite the same to the small screen it was still epic. Starting off very slowly following an introduction explaining the origin of their adventure, the story doesn't leave Bilbo's Hobbit-hole until we're 40 minutes into the film. Whilst this helps to develop the dwarves as characters, the sense that a little bit too much has been included resulting in a bloated runtime just shy of 2 hours and 45 minutes (especially when several plot lines included don't even feature in the book... You can see why they've split it into three films now). However once the story really gets going, it's a pretty spectacular adventure - especially the last hour which features the brilliant riddles showdown between Bilbo and everyone's favourite Gollum! It may have it's flaws, then again so did The Lord of the Rings films at points, but you get the feeling that this is only the beginning of what has the potential to be a great trilogy.
4/5

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Watching this with no expectations whatsoever is probably the best way to go into this film, I did and found myself pleasantly surprised. Whilst the script is unmistakably cliched and predictable you can't help but be charmed - largely due to the fact that that the cast of veteran actors (especially Dame Judi Dench, as ever) make you care about their characters that might otherwise have been insipid. It may well be one grand postcard from India, but it's a beautiful one thanks to some stunning cinematography. Someone please take me to India!
3.5/5

Cinema Review - Iron Man 3 (12A, 130 Mins.)

Synopsis: When Tony Stark's world is torn apart by a formidable terrorist called the Mandarin, he starts an odyssey of rebuilding and retribution.

Verdict: What a great start to the summer blockbuster season! There's never a dull moment in this threequel that significantly ups the ante in terms of action even if character development has been slightly sidelined.

More so than ever before, Robert Downey Jr. really embodies the role of Tony Stark. He manages to get the audience to sympathise with Stark through all of his suffering following Avengers Assemble whilst still not losing the essence of his character, being the gobby, snappy one out of the Avengers. Gwyneth Paltrow also gets a lot more to do here, from just being eye candy in the first two films she finally gets in on the action in this instalment... Even getting to suit up at one point! Sir Ben Kingsley was a revelation as The Mandarin, another brilliantly sinister terrorist for the big screen following The Joker in The Dark Knight and Silva in Skyfall. 

Where this film really shines though is in the epic twist, saying anything would simply spoil it but you definitely won't see it coming. It makes for a much darker film than the previous two (a rather bleak hostage scene made me question how appropriate this would be for younger fans), without being as bleak as other superhero films such as The Dark Knight. Shane Black's script knows when to lighten the mood though, with an unlikely buddy comedy to add to the wit as well as some unsubtle references to British culture such as puns involving Downton Abbey and Cockneys.

Stay until after the credits (even if they do seem to go on for an eternity) for a scene featuring one of the other Avengers which ties the whole film up nicely.

Whilst this film may not quite reach the heady heights of last year's Avengers Assemble, this is a significant improvement over the disappointing Iron Man 2... Here's hoping Robert Downey Jr. continues to play Tony Stark for years to come. 

4.5/5

What I Watched Last Week (22nd-28th April)

Contagion
This makes for some interesting viewing. Whilst it has an amazing cast (Gwyneth Paltrow, Matt Damon and Jude Law just to name a few) this definitely isn't a character led film, instead with the focus most definitely on the disease. Whilst you may think this would make the film disengaging I found that the fact that the characters were basically numbers waiting to be eliminated made for some tense viewing. Marion Cotillard is criminally underused in a script that basically abandons her half way through until the end but Matt Damon's storyline with his daughter brought a sense of humanity to what otherwise could've alienated viewers from what is a VERY brave film... It is rare to see one of the biggest actresses in Hollywood killed off in the first 10 minutes!
4/5

Iron Man 3
What a great start to the summer blockbuster season! This film took the franchise in a much darker direction than the previous two films with terrorism and anxiety attacks at the forefront of the storyline, a move that definitely paid off by rescuing the series from the dregs of Iron Man 2. Full cinema review to follow.
4.5/5

What I Watched Last Week (15th-21st April)

Silver Linings Playbook
One of my favourite films of last year with good reason. Whilst it was labelled as a rom-com in its advertising campaign, it's so much more than that - a romantic dramedy about mental illness may be a halfway decent way of describing it. The acting is where this film really excels, Bradley Cooper was a revelation as Pat (The Hangover may have been his breakout role but this is the role where he really proved himself as a serious, talented actor) and Jennifer Lawrence was magnificent, as ever. For some the slight turn to schmaltz in the last 30 mins may put them off but I think it was necessary for the romantic element of the film and shouldn't deter anyone from watching this heart-warming film.
5/5

Looper
This is a VERY different film from the one I was expecting. When I first heard about it I was expecting something along the lines of The Terminator but instead what we have here is a very talky B-movie which spends the whole first hour giving you just about every little detail before a brilliant last 45 minutes or so after Emily Blunt's character is introduced. Whilst I understand that in order to fully explain the whole time travel concept and flesh out back story, I felt like the first hour just dragged on a little bit until it got to the real action at the farm. The real surprise for me in this film was just how sinister the little boy is - from being a sweet little kid minute to (literally) exploding with rage the next - I found him to be genuinely terrifying! I also thought it was very slickly edited, flashing from one time to another with ease and sometimes redoing events without confusing the viewers. This film has a very good concept, if it was just a little bit less talky it would've been great... Maybe it will grow on me after a second viewing like other sci-fi films of this ilk have before.
3/5

Argo
I can definitely see what all the fuss was about at this year's awards season, I just can't believe it's taken me this long to get round to watching it! This film is gripping from start to finish, the tension ratcheted so high in the airport that I genuinely felt sick, mix that in with a little bit of humour from Alan Arkin's character and you have a near perfect drama. I like the way that they incorporated real footage from the actual events throughout - it gave the film a bit of a feeling like the actual events were unfolding on screen rather than a dramatic interpretation. Ben Affleck's really proven himself as a director here following his two other brilliant directorial features (Gone Baby Gone and The Town) and along with a talented cast and a fantastic script the story never plods.
5/5

What I Watched Last Week (8th-14th April)

Sorry, haven't had much time this past week to watch films... Been busy with revision!

Malcolm X
Having watched this film last night, I still don't quite know what to make of it. The first half of the film was all background knowledge of his life. Whilst I understand that all of the details in it were important for establishing why he made the decisions he did later in life, a bit of snappier editing may have drastically reduced the bloated 3hr21min runtime. Whilst the acting was superb (Denzel Washington deservedly won an Oscar and looked the spitting image of the real-life Malcolm X, footage from his era was very cleverly mixed into the film) I found myself distracted by constant voice overs throughout - especially when during conversations! When a film is so long that it has to be viewed across two DVD discs you know you're in for a long ride but the final hour makes it all worthwhile.
3/5

What I Watched Last Week (1st-7th April)

Winter's Bone
Whilst Jennifer Lawrence's performance was brilliant I was left slightly disappointed with this film due to the fact that not much actually happened meaning that I did look at the clock a few times. What this film does do a good job of is making the audience slightly uncomfortable witnessing these people's grim lives with plenty of help from Lawrence - who manages to portray so much emotion without actually saying very much with the camera on her just about the whole time (deservedly earning an Oscar nomination). In addition the cinematography and locations are stunning because they make the film all the more atmospheric.
3/5

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
I watched this for the first time in about 6 years this week only to be reminded how much of a classic film it is. Whilst some scenes like the TV were laugh out loud funny because of how dated they were, the performance by Gene Wilder and some of the catchiest songs in film history have helped this film to age well over time. Wilder's performance manages to make Willy Wonka seem absolutely bonkers but not creepy, a feat that Johnny Depp couldn't quite realise in the slightly unnecessary remake a few years ago.
4/5

The Hangover
In my opinion this is probably one of the best of a flurry of 15-rated comedies released in the past few years along with Bridesmaids, 21 Jump Street and Ted. Many moments are laugh out loud hilarious and there's some quotable lines "IT'S NOT A PURSE, IT'S A SATCHEL!". In addition you actually grow to care about the characters which is key to any successful comedy - probably the reason why films such as Bad Teacher of late haven't reached their full potential.
4/5

Mean Girls
This has to be the definitive teen comedy of the 21st century! With lines as hilariously quotable as "WHY DON'T WE ALL JUST STAB CAESAR?!" and "You can't just ask people why they're white" along with breakout performances from Rachel McAdams and Amanda Seyfried along with Lindsay Lohan at her peak (not long before her very public breakdown) this film has the perfect mix of believably bitchy teen drama and laugh out loud funny lines. When people on twitter claim it to be a "right of passage" to show their younger siblings this film on their 12th birthday (this film must've just scraped a 12 rating, there's some pretty mature stuff in here) you know it's a film that's impossible not to love.
5/5