Top 5 movies of the Year

Back at the start of July I looked at the best 5 movies of the year so far (link here). With the end of the year fast approaching I thought I would look back at those movies as well as any released in the second half of the year.

Honourable mentions go to The Hunger Games and Carnage which made the top 5 in July but failed to hold onto a place by the end of the year. From the second half of the year I believe that The Dark Knight Rises, Lawless and Silver Linings Playbook should also be given honourable mentions. If I had to choose a #6 it would have been Polisse.

5. The Raid: Redemption

An Indonesian action movie which appeared out of nowhere to critical acclaim and showed Western action films how things should be done. Brutally violent whilst being incredibly tense and claustrophobic means it's impossible to look away through the fast 90mins of action. A simple premise of a group of policemen raid a building run by a crimelord and soon end up just wanting to escape from the carnage.

4. Undefeated

A documentary film that actually won an Oscar, it looks at the American Football team of Manassas in Tennessee and life in small-town America. The town is one of little hope for the pupils of the high school and the only way out for many is to earn a scholarship to play American Football at a major college or be stuck in a town where violence and crime run wild. The film follows the coach who puts hours of work with them on and off the field to make them better players and people, all without being paid a single cent.

3. Martha Marcy May Marlene

The story of Martha played by Elizabeth Olsen who has just run away from a cult that resides in upstate New York, the film tracks her trying to adjust to normal life whilst staying with her sister despite her lack of knowledge of social norms and also flashes back to her time in the cult. John Hawkes is excellent as Patrick the cult leader who is warm and sympathetic whilst being evil and calculated being the fake exterior.

2. Margin Call

Released way back in January, Margin Call still sits with me as one of the best films in recent years. An immensely relevant look at an investment firm that realises its exposed to millions of pound worth of risk in mortgage back securities that respresents a higher figure than the net worth of the company. Zachary Quinto is excellent as the young naive risk analyst who initially realises the problem and sets off a chain reaction as everyone starts to fight for their own jobs and money as the greed of Wall Street takes over.

1. Untouchable

An absolutely heart warming and funny French film that will not be eligible for the Oscars this year as the Weinstein company want to do an English language remake that will be utter shite. Francois Cluzet plays Phillippe, a rich quadriplegic who needs to hire someone to look after him and after seeing many qualified applicants decides to pick Driss (played by Omar Sy). Driss is an ex-criminal from the projects in Paris and only applied for the job so he could continue to collect his benefits but the two form a superb bond of friendship as the movie progresses. The performances by both lead actors are an absolute joy to behold!

Film Review: Boy A

Director: John Crowley

A TV film adaptation of the critically acclaimed novel of the same name by Jonathan Trigell, it was originally shown on Channel 4 in the UK in 2007. It shared many similarities to the notorious James Bulger case from 1993 as the two murderers had since been released from prison having served their sentence. Andrew Garfield who plays the main character won a BAFTA for Best Actor in a TV role.

Jack Burridge (Andrew Garfield) meets with his rehabilitation officer Terry (Peter Mullan) as he prepares for life outside of prison under a new identity, Jack is really Eric Wilson who with his friend Phillip Craig was involved in the murder of a schoolgirl. The film shows him struggle to adjust to normal life with the constant threat of his past being revealed with flashbacks to his life as Eric Wilson leading up to the murder.

Andrew Garfield as Jack Burridge/Eric Wilson

*spoilers ahead*

Andrew Garfield was thrust into prominence for his performance in Boy A and rightly so, incredibly troubled yet conscientiously trying to do the right thing whilst Peter Mullan is the rehabilitation officer with his own personal problems that mire his work. Mullan puts in another impressive performance playing the sort of character he is renowned for portraying so well.

It creates a moral dilemma for the viewer, Jack is certainly a man who has reformed his behaviour after the murder and just wants to lead a normal life free from his past. So throughout the movie you really feel for him but then the flashbacks constantly remind you that he was a murderer as a teenager even if the film doesn't show you how much involvement he has. Some critics disliked the ambiguity of the ending for both Jack and young Eric but the film implies heavily enough for you to understand what has happened, the showing of the murder would have been criticized given the subject matter and it's clear enough that Eric participated in the murder even if it was Phillip who instigated it. Whilst the ending with the phone messages being played over the top leaves you in no doubt as to the fate of Jack.

3.5/4 harrowing and thought provoking drama with an outstanding lead performance

This weeks releases

Jack Reacher: Tom Cruise puffs his chest out in the adaptation of Lee Childs novel One Shot, he plays ex-military investigator Jack Reacher who doesn't play by the rules to solve a random series of murders.

Full preview here

Parental Guidance: A family comedy, grandparents (played by Billie Holliday and Bette Midler) who look after 3 grandchildren in a well-worn plot. This is old-school parenting meets 21st century children.

Safety Not Guaranteed: From the producers of Little Miss Sunshine (yawn) comes a comedy who answer a classified advertisement looking for fellow passengers on a journey through time. A kooky film which will either be a surprise hit or a big flop.

Film Preview: 42

A biographical film about the life of baseball player Jackie Robinson, who was the first black baseball player of the modern era to play in the majors. Chadwick Boseman stars as Robinson whilst Harrison Ford also plays a supporting role as Branch Rickey who is the manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers at the time when Jackie is signed to play for them.

Previously black baseball players had to play in the Negro Leagues rather than the Major League and his character shown through as he played through racial abuse to become a superb player. Stories of racial discrimination slowly declined after Robinson became the first black player in the MLB.

42 is released on 12 April 2013 and the trailer is embedded below:

Film Review: Amour

Director: Michael Haneke

A French-language film that is currently the favourite to win the Best Foreign Film title at the Oscars and it also won the Palme d'Or at the 2012 Cannes Festival. Haneke is renowned for his bleak films which often look at the problems faced by people in society and Amour is certainly no different.

The film follows a couple of retired music teachers, Georges (Jean-Louis Trintignant) and Anne (Emmanuelle Riva), whose enjoyable life is taken away when Anne suffers a stroke and Georges has to help look after her as well as deal with the fact the wife he once knew is gone. We follow the slow decline in Anne's health and how Georges tries to deal with it.

Georges tries to help Anne

An incredibly painful drama which unfortunately moves painfully slowly as well, the long reflective pauses where little happens and nothing is spoken are initially effective but become too frequent. It is stark in its realistic portrayal of life caring for a wife following a stroke and the slow descent that Anne takes but for two hours it struggles to keep your interest for the whole time.

This is essentially a critics film that will point to two great performances from the leads and a film that is impressively intelligent and an in-depth view on love and life but from a viewers point of view it's a difficult film to be moved by. Many films such as Tyrannosaur and Boy A are harrowing films that are hugely impressive but that you wouldn't want to watch again because of the upsetting nature of the events but Amour felt too distant.

2/4 at times touching and impressive realism but too cold and tedious

Favourite Directors

Alfred Hitchcock: One of the fore-founding director's of modern cinema for his ground breaking ideas in creating suspense filled thrillers that some classed as horror in films like Psycho. But Hitchcock also had a very successful career in early silent movies that he has quite often forgotten for but the beauty of his work has stood the test of time and are as engaging to watch now as they ever were.

Favourite films: Psycho, North by Northwest & The 39 Steps.

Stanley Kubrick: Arguably the most meticulous director of all-time as he pursued perfection from his work.  He always said that films were best adapted from books and that average books worked best so they could be improved. Kubrick was renowned for his films having a deeper meaning than what was being shown at face value which was explored in the documentary Room 237 about the hidden meaning behind The Shining.

Favourite films: Paths of Glory, The Shining & 2001: A Space Odyssey.

David Lynch: A modern maverick who made his name with his surreal style of film making. Thrust into prominence with his bizarre but eerily terrifying Eraserhead that was made on an incredibly low budget. This theme continued through Mulholland Drive and Lost Highway as his films became a desperate search for the underlying meaning before he produced Inland Empire, an incredibly complex 3 hour film that switches from a linear narrative into utter confusion in seconds.

Favourite films: Mulholland Drive, Blue Velvet & Eraserhead

Sidney Lumet: One of the most over-looked directors when I was researching this topic, Lumet was most at home when producing incredibly tense set-pieces like the stand off at the bank in Dog Day Afternoon. He creates an atmosphere that is oppressively claustrophobic and leaves the viewer to consider their own actions under the circumstances. His films were culturally relevant for the times with Network taking a swipe at the TV networks (who are the same now as they were then) and the racial discrimination that was prevalent in 1950's America with the enthralling 12 Angry Men.

Favourite films: Network, Dog Day Afternoon & 12 Angry Men

Fritz Lang: The man behind the most expensive silent movie of all-time, Metropolis and then moved on to talkies with the chilling M. Both were films well ahead of their time considering they were made in 1927 and 1931 respectively and are still surprisingly relevant today. Lang also moved onto Hollywood in 1936 and continued his impressive legacy that is quite often forgotten today.

Favourite films: Metropolis & M

Film Review: The Taking of Pelham 123

Director: Tony Scott

Based on the book of the same name written by Morton Freedgood (who was writing under a pseudonym at the time, John Godey) in 1973. A film adaptation was made in 1974 that was reasonably popular but made the decision to change the names of the hijackers to colour code names (the first known film to do so, even before Reservoir Dogs). This adaptation stuck to the original names in the book.

The story revolves around a group of 4 men who hijack a subway train in Manhattan which is the 1:23pm train from Pelham Bay Park Station. The men are led by Ryder (John Travolta in full goatee mode) and have a former Subway train operative who can move the train for them, their intention is to hold the passengers hostage in between two stations as they demand $10million in cash to be delivered within an hour or they start killing hostages. They speak to an employee at the Rail Control Center called Walter Garber (Denzel Washington) who initially wants to know what has happened to the train but is then in charge of communication with the vehicle. The tension reaches fever pitch as the major of New York (James Gandolfini) has to decide whether to pay the ransom or not as they wonder how the men will escape.

Ryder (John Travolta) threatens the motorcar man

The original book is a thrilling tension filled ride and a lot of this is well captured within the movie, Travolta is capable as the cool calm baddy whilst Denzel is excellent as the honest MTA employee with a troubled past. The conversation between the pair over the radio is quick witted and entertaining despite the pair never actually meeting.

The film obviously has been updated to include the use of gadgets and computers to aid the police as they try to work-out a plan to halt the hijackers. The book has many references to the racism around at the time in 1970’s New York; it was a well tackled story which was left out of the film possibly because it is less relevant today. The original film was a huge success as well in 1974 so it does beg the question as to why this movie was remade?

If you have never read the book then I would recommend reading that first before trying this movie so you can compare it to the original text.

2/4 reasonably entertaining movie but lacks the depth of the original book and movie.

This week's releases

Pitch Perfect: A comedy based around Beca (Anna Kendrick) who joins a student singing group at college called The Bellas. She changes the appearance and attitude of the group to try to bring then greater success than ever before. A movie version inspired by Glee seems to be the result.

Boxing Day: An adaptation of a short story by Tolstoy, it partners Nick (Matthew Jacobs) as a chauffeur who drives around Basil (Danny Houston) through the Rocky mountains in Colorado in wintertime. As their trip becomes perilous some big decisions have to be made by both characters.

Film Preview: Gangster Squad

The film was originally set to be released at the end of this year in the UK, in the US it was slated for early September but in the wake of the Aurora Shootings at the cinema during The Dark Knight Rises they decided to delay the release due to the gun violence contained within the film, but mainly due to a scene that involves a shooting in a cinema. Gangster Squad features an ensemble cast including Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin, Giovanni Ribisi and Emma Stone.

It has an LA Confidential/ LA Noire feel due to the time period chosen and the subject matter of LAPD cops fighting against the East Coast mafia moving into their city. So expect stylish suits and hats galore.

Gangster Squad is released in the UK on 11th January and the trailer is embedded below:

Film Review: Black Hawk Down

Director: Ridley Scott

A war drama adapted from the book of the same name by Mark Bowden, Ridley Scott directs an enthralling masterpiece with an ensemble cast of male actors playing Delta Force Soldiers and Army Rangers. The cast includes Eric Bana, Tom Sizemore, Orlando Bloom, Josh Hartnett and Ewan McGregor to name just a few.

The Soldiers

*possible spoilers throughout*

The film is set in 1993 in Somalia as the American army fights against the Somali militia who declared war on UN peacekeeping personnel in the region. The civil war has cost the lives of thousands of civilians as the battle for government control of the country continues, Black Hawk Down charts the day of The Battle of Mogadishu. The companies engage in a mission to capture the Somali militia leader Mohamed Farrah Aidid and hope to be back at base within the hour but the local armies are warned of their arrival so a battle ensues after a Black Hawk helicopter is shot down. The US troops battle to secure the crash site and take any casualties back to base.

After a slow opening where many characters are all slowly introduced we are thrown into a tense street battle in Mogadishu, the film becomes more engrossing as the melee unfolds and changes from a standard war movie to a claustrophobic exhibition of modern warfare. The many different characters who are followed through the battle means we see the battle from different viewpoints although a minor criticism is the lack of balance in showing the battle from the Somali side.

Black Hawk over Mogadishu

Despite being an action packed war movie, it subtly conveys an anti-war message as we see the death of many heroic men on both sides as well as the mental effect it has on soldiers. The ambiguity around Eric Bana’s character is superbly crafted and his conversation at the end with Josh Hartnett’s character is intensely chilling.

Unfortunately the film like many of its kind is too pro-American, historical inaccuracies creep in like the story of the Pakistan and Malaysian troops being a glorified taxi service to help the Americans when they were there at the battle as well. Whilst the Somali’s are all seen as the enemy that are just there to be shot by the heroic American soldiers when this isn’t always the case, a lack of background on the conflict in Mogadishu was apparent. Unsurprisingly the film was widely condemned by many for being prejudiced but political points aside this is an intensely thrilling movie.

3.5/4 thrilling and claustrophic war epic.

Film Review: The Counterfeiters

Director: Stefan Ruzowitzky

An Austrian made and German language film that follows a group of Jewish counterfeiters who are saved from the concentration camps during the Second World War by the Nazi's to work on 'Operation Bernhard', a plot to flood Britain and America with fake bank notes made by the counterfeiters. The film was a success on its release with the film going onto to win an Oscar for Best Foreign Language film in 2008.

The film specifically follows Salomon Smolianoff (Karl Markovics) who is seen as one of the best criminal counterfeiters in the world when it comes to passports and currency. Although he is caught after unsuccessfully trying to forge American dollars and as a Jew is arrested and sent to a labour camp by the Nazis. As he enjoys a life of luxury compared to the rest of the Jewish prisoners, he is torn between his desire to stay alive by creating the forged currency and his fear that his work may be killing thousands of people in helping the Nazi war effort.


Sorowitsch (Karl Markovics)

The performance of many of the actors but especially Markovics and August Diehl who plays Burger who vehemently opposes creating the fake currency are excellent, they portray the nervousness and desperation of being completely at the mercy of the Nazi officers in charge of the operation. The flaw in the movie is that you quite often find the Holocaust backdrop being downplayed and that the reminders of their situation with deaths of workers and other Jews feel quite forced to make you feel sympathetic to their plight.

The moral question that runs throughout the film on what they are being asked to do and whether they would be killed if they refused is an interesting plot device and manages to maintain the tension throughout the movie. Sorowitsch is well portrayed as a superb counterfeiter but at no points is shown to be a hero, he is very much an average man just wanting to survive in the camp till the end of the war. There have been many films on this subject and The Counterfeiters isn't the best you'll see but is still a good watch.

2.5/4 intriguing Holocaust based plot

Most over-rated movies of the year

As we prepare for awards season just after New Year, I thought we'd look at the buzz surrounding some films that really don't deserve to be included in the shortlists. In no particular order:

Beasts of the Southern Wild: A cute little girl and an incredibly boring yet wacky plot seems to be a hit with critics just because it clearly represents Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana, the message behind the story is more rammed down your throat than subtly conveyed. Quvenzhané Wallis does a decent job but Hollywood always hypes up the performance of child actors in films and she really wasn't that impressive. Certainly one to avoid catching up on.

Skyfall: Probably the choice that will get me the most flak, I'm not saying it wasn't a good movie but being honest it really wasn't as good as Casino Royale and had some plot similarities to The Dark Knight Rises in overall structure. The film also went on for far too long at the end but hero action movies like this rarely get much recognition at the awards anyways.

Arbitrage: A film not yet released in the UK but is garnering some praise for Richard Gere who pretty much plays himself as a billionaire hedge fund manager with a huge risk and debt problem. The film itself entwines two stories but places far more emphasis on the hit and run story than the actual financial mismanagement which is a mistake and nobody gets out of second gear in acting terms.

Ted: A frankly unfunny and entirely predictable film with Mark Wahlberg playing a slightly whiney character that he seems to default to when acting. The bear is apparently funny because he is loud, foul-mouted and constantly makes pop references. It is constantly appearing in top 10 lists for 2012 despite being one of my least favourite.

Golden Globe Nominations

Here is the list of Golden Globe nominations (I nearly forgot it was happening till my girlfriend reminded me):

Best Motion Picture — Drama
Argo
Django Unchained
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Zero Dark Thirty

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Drama
Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
Richard Gere, Arbitrage
John Hawkes, The Sessions
Joaquin Phoenix, The Master
Denzel Washington, Flight

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Drama
Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
Marion Cotillard, Rust & Bone
Helen Mirren, Hitchcock
Naomi Watts, The ImpossibleRachel Weisz, The Deep Blue Sea

 
Best Motion Picture — Comedy Or Musical
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Les Miserables
Moonrise Kingdom
Salmon Fishing in the YemenSilver Linings Playbook

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Comedy Or Musical
Emily Blunt, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Judi Dench, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Jennifer Lawrence, Maggie Smith, Quartet
Meryl Streep, Hope Springs

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Comedy Or Musical
Jack Black, Bernie
Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables
Bill Murray, Hyde Park on Hudson
Ewan McGregor, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

Best Performance by an Actress In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Amy Adams, The Master
Sally Field, Lincoln
Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables
Helen Hunt, The Sessions
Nicole Kidman, The Paperboy

Best Performance by an Actor In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Alan Arkin, Argo
Leonardo DiCaprio, Django Unchained
Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln
Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained

Best Director — Motion Picture
Ben Affleck, Argo
Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty
Ang Lee, Life of Pi
Steven Spielberg, Lincoln
Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained

Unfortunately quite a few films that have been nominated have not been released in the UK so it's hard to comment on the merit of some nominations. The early reviews for Django Unchained have been very good and films like Argo and Silver Linings Playbook are rightly recognised.

It's only fair to say that a nomination for Richard Gere in Arbitrage is a poor choice, it was a very middling performance in an average movie. Life of Pi seems to be a great visual spectacle but over-rated as an actual story but having not seen it yet I cannot criticise it too much yet.

This week's releases

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: Set 60 years before the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy, Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman aka Tim from The Office) goes on a quest to retrieve stolen treasure from the dragon Smaug. He is joined by thirteen dwarves as they battle goblins and orcs on their journey.

The Hunt: Lucas (Mads Mikkelsen) is recently divorced and is getting his life in order when one of his pupils accuses him of sexual abuse. The tight knit community he lives in quickly turns on him and he is forced to live with the consequences in this tense drama which is directed by Thomas Vinterberg who dealt with a similar topic with the film Festen.

Film Preview: Zero Dark Thirty

The decade long hunt for Osama Bin Laden had been a tough time for Americans, he was the leader al-Qaeda so the Americans would not be happy till he was taken out by the American military. In May 2011, the news appeared out of nowhere that Bin Laden had been shot dead in a house in Pakistan after a secret military operation. Many people around the world but especially Americans rejoiced at the news but also realised that this doesn't necessarily mean the end of International terrorism.

Starring Chris Platt and Jessica Chastain, the film chronicles the 10 years between the September 11th attacks and the death of Osama Bin Laden. The film has created quite a bit of Oscar buzz about the film and the lead performances so big things are expected upon its release.

Zero Dark Thirty is released in the UK on 25th January 2013 and the trailer is embedded below:

Film Review: Leon The Professional

Director: Luc Besson

Written and directed by Luc Besson, it became a film that made the names of both Besson himself and the name of a young Natalie Portman. It has garnered huge praise for Gary Oldman as the villain DEA agent Norman Stansfield. The film is based around New York City but most of the indoor scenes were shot in France.

Léon (Jean Reno) and Mathilda (Natalie Portman)

Leone "Léon" Montana (Jean Reno) is a hitman (or cleaner as he refers to himself as) living in Little Italy in New York City, taking jobs from local mob boss Tony (Danny Aiello). He does little outside of work except tending to house plants and obsessive calisthenics. 12 year old Mathilda (Natalie Portman) ends up forming a bond with him after problems with her incredibly dysfunction family that lives down the hall. They both suddenly get wrapped up in a battle against corrupt DEA Agent and drug addict Norman Stansfield (Gary Oldman).

The performance of Natalie Portman is given a lot of the plaudits from the film, for such a young actress to play that role is very impressive. Quite often child actors are given too much praise simply because they are young but that is certainly not the case here. Jean Reno is decent as the emotionless Léon but Gary Oldman is clearly the most impressive as the unpredictable and bad tempered Stansfield. His lines are almost poetic at times but mask an almost sadistic side to him that becomes apparant after popping more pills.

Corrupt DEA Agent Norman Stansfield (Gary Oldman)

As a film it does look slightly dated and at times over the top spectacle, I think it does separate itself from reality on too many occasions but as a thriller it is an innovative film with some different ideas to the norm at heart. Many films shows the Italian mob scene as a sharp and luxurious affair whilst Leon The Professional paints the world of a hitman as a sparse and troubled world with a particular line from Léon being "it changes you, once you kill somebody you are never the same again. You sleep with one eye open." It could easily have glamourized the violence and the world of being a professional hitman but it does exactly the opposite.

3/4 slightly dated but still an engaging yet innovative film

Film Preview: Star Trek Into Darkness

The world of sci-fi gets another Summer blockbuster release, this year it was Prometheus and next year it is Star Trek Into Darkness. The twelfth movie in the Star Trek franchise is directed by sci-fi guru J.J. Abrams who was behind Super 8, Cloverfield and many hit TV shows like Fringe. An ensemble cast has been named with Benedict Cumberbatch joining the production to work alongside Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban and Simon Pegg to name just three.


Movie Poster

The crew of the Enterprise meet an unstoppable force that has just destroyed a planet on its way home from a mission. Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) taken on the deadly mission to stop the people responsible and settle an old score.

Star Trek Into Darkness is released in the UK on 17th May 2013 and the trailer is embedded below:

Film Review: End of Watch

Director: David Ayer

David Ayer was the acclaimed screenwriter for Training Day (review here), he steps up as the director and writer for End of Watch. He doesn't stray too far from what was successful in Training Day as we follow a pair of cops from the LAPD as they go about their daily business of policing the streets. Gyllenhaal and Pena spent 5 months following LAPD officers on 12 hour duties to understand the job better as well as the sort of people who worked for the force.

The film is presented in the found footage format as Brian Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) is documenting his work on handheld cameras alongside his partner Mike Zavala (Michael Pena). They both deal with the usual criminals and call outs that LAPD cops are expected to deal with whilst joking and chatting back and forth in the car rides in between. But after crossing a Mexican drugs cartel involved in a trafficking ring they end up in more trouble than they bargained for.

Brian Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Mike Zavala (Michael Pena)

The friendship between the two lead actors is palpable, the bravado and bantering between the pair is engaging and incredibly real. They are both conscientious young men who joke around possibly to take the edge off some of the horrors they see on a daily basis. Despite the practical jokes you can tell that both characters genuinely have a deep bond with one another and really care for one another whilst dealing the dangers of the job.

The weaknesses in the movie lie within the overall plot and the found footage style that the film is shot in, at times it's not genuine found footage as camera angles are impossible based on what you can see and the equipment the actors have. But the shaky camerawork becomes tiresome and was just an unwanted addition. The main plotline between the unsuspecting policemen and the Mexican cartel seemed like an afterthought when writing the movie which meant it was rushed and unrealistic, a real shame for a film that was stark in its realism elsewhere.

2/4 great rapport between main actors but overall plot was lacklustre

This weeks releases

Seven Psychopaths: A dark comedy about a washed up screenwriter (Colin Farrell) who gets caught in the middle of a con to get money out of a gangster by stealing his beloved Shih Tzu. He thinks he may have found his creativity again but has to worry about the wrath from the gangster played by Woody Harrelson. Also starring Christopher Walken, Sam Waits and Sam Rockwell.

The Oranges: Comedy drama where suburban life is turned upside down by an affair between David (Hugh Laurie) and the daughter of their neighbours. It creates arguments and comedy moments abound as different members of the families have their own way of dealing with the news.

Celeste And Jesse Forever: Celeste (Rashida Jones) is a young successful woman and is married to Jesse (Andy Samberg) who is a dreamer who doesn't quite get things done. They decide to get divorced as they grow apart in this comedy drama. They pledge to remain friends following the breakup but can that ever really happen?

Film Preview: Jack Reacher

After the latest Mission Impossible movie, Tom Cruise has found another potential franchise for him to front and make big bucks with at the box office. Let me present Jack Reacher.

Based on the 2005 novel by Lee Child called One Shot, Reacher is an ex-army police officer who is a drifter with no job or home who is called into help solve the mystery of a sniper who killed 5 people in a crowd. He believes it is an ex-military man who he worked with but is believed to be innocent by the mans sister. It's down to Jack Reacher to solve the crime using tactics that aren't legal or approved by the Police.

Unfortunately, the trailer makes the film look incredibly cliché to the point that I think it would possibly work better as a comedy action film that mocks the genre. The phone call where he claims not to be a hero and then phones the guy back to tell him he'd also like to kill him actually made me laugh out loud in the cinema although I'm not sure that was the reaction they were going for. Cruise is guaranteed money at the box office still but not necessarily to the same levels as ten years ago.

Jack Reacher is released in the UK on Friday 21st December 2012 and the trailer is embedded below:

Film Review: Cosmopolis

Director: David Cronenberg

The well known novel by Don DeLillo of the sane name is well regarded in literary circles and actually was at the forefront of anti-Wall Street movements well before the recession even hit in 2003. Now 9 years later David Cronenberg got his hands on the rights to a film version of the book, he missed out on his preferred lead of Colin Farrell due to scheduling conflicts with Total Recall and also lost Marion Cotillard for the same reason but a different film.

The film follows billionaire trader Eric Packer (Robert Pattinson) as he slowly makes his way across Manhattan to get his haircut by his favourite barber. Along the way he is held up due to a visit from the US President to the city and also gets caught in a protest against Wall Street. During the traffic jams he meets up with many different characters as they discuss topics big and small.

Robert Pattinson as Eric Packer, billionaire hedge fund manager

Robert Pattinson certainly looks the part of the arrogant billionaire trader but his demeanour lacks the swagger and charisma to pull off this lead role. Any Twilight fans seeing this film purely for him will love the fact he's on-screen constantly but would be bored to death by the dialogue that is lengthy and often uninteresting. Whilst trying to look cool and unruffled, Pattinson ends up not doing much in terms of body movement and seems to just be reading his lines. The other characters are completely incidental and its a film that apart from the 3 scenes could be run in any order as the other characters affecting his trip to the barber have no real relation to each other or the central plot.

It honestly felt like this film could have been done over the radio, visually there is very little to see in this film as the dialogue takes centre stage and the overall plot means little against the parochial type speeches made throughout. Another option would be to have people stand at the lectern to deliver their lines and most of the dialogue is needlessly long and rather predictable. Overall this is a bore of a film and it doesn't surprise me that many people walked out of this movie halfway through.

0.5/4 missed opportunity on a borefest that talks you into submission

Best DVD releases this Christmas

The Dark Knight Rises: Without a doubt the most popular film of 2012, the gripping finale of Christopher Nolan's take on the Batman franchise was hugely popular and ended the story very well. Christian Bale is impressive again as the troubled superhero who goes up against the inaudible Bane (Tom Hardy) with the future of Gotham at stake.

Full Review

Ted: A movie I really hated when it was released but apparently I was in the minority as it was a huge success at the box office and with fans, so much so that a sequel is already being planned. If you like easy crude jokes made by a bear and Wahlberg being his usual whiney self then this is the film for you.

Full Review

Ice Age 4: Continental Drift: To cater for people with children or even just people who were big fans of the first 3 movies, the format is reasonably similar to the previous movies and even contains some of the same ideas but it can still be an enjoyable animated comedy.

The Amazing Spiderman: An improvement on the original franchise which was directed by Sam Raimi and sees Andrew Garfield take over from Tobey Maguire. This film was a little bit long but did a decent job of setting the franchise up which is always hard to do, Emma Stone is a good love interest as well.

Full Review

The Bourne Legacy: We are certainly well catered for with action movies this Christmas as Jeremy Renner rounds off a trio. A reboot of the franchise in essence with Renner taking the lead role as the new Bourne to replace Matt Damon's Jason, he is Aaron Cross who went through a similar program to the original Bourne and now faces the same problems.

Full Review

This week's releases

Sightseers: Ben Wheatley brings a truly dark sense of humour to this black comedy about a young couple who escape their sheltered life for a weekend away in a caravan. After a while the holiday excitement wears off as they are irritated by inconsiderate locals and things go downhill from there.

Trouble with the Curve: A baseball drama starring Clint Eastwood as a veteran scout who looks to find one more top talent before finally retiring from his life in the game. He takes his daughter Mickey (Amy Adams) along with him to reluctantly teach her the trade as well as bond with her. Promising drama was ripped apart by critics upon release in the US.

Great Expectations: Dickens classic tale of triumph over adversity is given another remake this time starring Helena Bonham-Carter and Ralph Fiennes as we see as orphans rise up the ranks of the aristocracy in Victorian London.

Alex Cross: Based on the detective novels by James Paterson, Tyler Perry stars as Detective Alex Cross who battles against an extremely violent hitman who takes things to a personal level when he murders Cross' wife.

Film Review: Rust and Bone

Director: Jacques Audiard

A French language film about a complicated romance between two people thrown together by hard times and tragedy. Ali (Matthias Schoenaerts) works doing odd-jobs as well as boxing for a living whilst looking after/neglecting his son Sam (Armand Vendure). Working as a doorman in a nightclub he meets Stéphanie (Marion Cotillard) who ends up in a fight so he drives her home and discovers that she works at a local marine tourist park working with Orca Whales. But an accident at the park changes Stéphanie's life forever and she ends up trying to get closer to Ali to help deal with the depression.

Ali (Matthias Schoenaerts) and Stéphanie (Marion Cotillard)

The first thing that stands out from this movie is Marion Cotillard, she is absolutely superb as the unhappy Stéphanie. Even before the accident you can feel the desire to escape her current boyfriend who dictates what she does and then tries to piece her life back together after the accident. Matthias Schoenaerts is a relative newcomer and is disappointing in the lead role of Ali, a selfish and cold boxer who cares little for friends or even his own son at times. He seemed to portray very little aside from anger but for no reason that became apparant and was unconvincing as the film drew to its conclusion.

Jacques Audiard does an impressive job with some stunningly shot slow motion pieces of Ali's fights and Stéphanie working with the whales to a beautiful soundtrack, he also uses the camera to place you right in the middle of conversations so you feel like you are very much a part of it. Unfortunately the plot is slow and often cumbersome at times as you will the director to push the plot forward before the whole thing stagnates, then when you finally reach the finale you feel like they were unsure exactly how to end it all.

2/4 Powerhouse performance from Cotillard is let down by slow unsure plot

Film Review: Silver Linings Playbook

Director: David O. Russell

Awash with Oscar buzz, this romantic comedy was billed as having an edge over your bog-standard rom-com. It certainly did not disappoint, it is incredibly entertaining and sharply written with some standout lead performances from Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. The film tiptoes between slightly farcical and incredibly bittersweet without over stepping the mark on either count.

Pat Solitano Jr (Bradley Cooper) and Tiffany Maxwell (Jennifer Lawrence)

Pat Solitano Jr (Bradley Cooper) is released from a mental facility diagnosed with bipolar disorder after eight months of treatment. He was forced to go there after he assaulted a fellow teacher who was sleeping with his wife. He is incredibly determined to win his wife back but first has to deal with his anger issues. His parents Dolores (Jacki Weaver) and Pat Senior (Robert de Niro) look after him whilst Pat Sr earns money bookmaking after losing his job. At a meal with friends, Pat Jr meets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) who is just recovering after her husband died and they establish an incredibly strange bond.

Pat Solitano Sr (Robert de Niro)

Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence are both excellent as the lead performers in the movie, they both exhibit characters with mental issues without resorting to worn out clichés to display them. They have been mentioned amongst the Oscar buzz and it wouldn't surprise me if either was nominated and the same for Robert de Niro as a supporting actor.

The slight twist in the movie is maybe rather predictable but the plot is only part of the enjoyment of the film as the script is incredibly well written. The back and forths between Pat Jr and Tiffany are sharply written and well thought out, during the comedic moments we never lose sight of the inner turmoil that each characters is tormented with. Plus any film that has a healthy dose of chatter about American Football will always impress with me.

3.5/4 funny yet touching rom-com

Upcoming films that I'm excited about

Only God Forgives: Nicholas Winding Refn and Ryan Gosling reunite after the simply superb Drive, its all been very secretive about this latest movie which is set in Bangkok. Gosling plays Julian who runs a thai boxing club but is distraught as his brothers death and is sent by his mother Jenna (Kristin Scott-Thomas) to find and kill the people responsible. I think the synopsis that has been released is deliberately making the film sound like a simple revenge movie but will actually take on a different form as Refn said there may be a slightly supernatural element.

Django Unchained: Quentin Tarantino latest film features many actors he is familiar with like Christoph Waltz and Samuel L. Jackson. This ensemble cast comes together for a Western which sees Django (Jamie Foxx) saved from slavery by Dr. King Schultz (Waltz) but only if he can kill the brittle brothers will he be set free and also given the opportunity to rescue his wife. Expect the same slick dialogue synonymous with Tarantino.

Flight: Denzel Washington returns playing a role that he knows best, a top man in his field with a troubled personal life. In this action drama he plays a pilot who saves the passengers on a plane by landing the plane in a field upside down as the engines fail and the jet nosedives. He becomes a national hero for saving so many lives but is then threatened with 30 years in jail after alcohol was found in his blood after the crash.

Anchorman 2: The plot for the return of your favourite news quartet has been kept very quiet, over 10 years since the original was released and became a cult hit with people all quoting the numerous great comedy lines held within. Director Adam McKay said that the film may be about a custody battle and bowling but nothing has been decided for definite, this was back in May 2012 but nothing has been revealed since. Will this live up to the original or just be another cash-in sequel? The former hopefully.

Alan Partridge Movie: Aaaaaah, after numerous returns on a live tour as well as new TV episodes like Mid-Morning Matters. Steve Coogan and Armando Iannucci take Alan Partidge onto the big screen which will not see Alan going to Hollywood or anything cliché like that. Iannucci confirmed the plot will revolve around Alan's local digital TV station, North Norfolk Digital, being taken over by a big media conglomerate and recalled Shape to which he is completely against. He takes a stand against the take over this and it all disintegrates from there. Coogan's more recent runs with Partridge certainly haven't lived up to the original two series and its unlikely the film will either but it has to be given a chance.

Film Review: A Streetcar named Desire

Director: Elia Kazan

Based on the play by Tennessee Williams, I decided to see this movie after going to watch Orpheus Descending at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester. It was one of his less known works but was mesmerizing and introduced me to the works of Tennessee Williams. After learning that he lived a very unhappy life it comes as no surprise that there is strife throughout his works although even I was still surprised at the plot for this movie. The film won three oscars out of the four acting categories although Marlon Brando was the only one nominated who didn't win.

Set in the stifling heat of the French Quarter in New Orleans, Stella Kowalski (Kim Hunter) and Stanley Kowalski (Marlon Brando) are a married couple who are expecting a baby when Stella's sister Blanche (Vivien Leigh) arrives from Mississippi. Her pretentions to virtue and culture mask some deep rooted problems that cause her clash with Stanley, whose violent temper was a reason that Stella fell in love with him, and worries Stella who is torn between her sister and husband.

Stanley Kowalski (Marlon Brando) and Blanche DuBois (Vivien Leigh)

I was quite simply blown away by the acting performances especially from Marlon Brando (shocked he didn't win an Oscar) and Vivien Leigh. They are both simply outstanding and have been understandably praised by critics ever since for landmark performances. The inner torment portrayed by Leigh must surely have been ground-breaking for the time and left the audience guessing to exactly what is happening with her as the story unravels.

The film is set mostly within the flat that Stella and Stanley share which is humid and claustrophobic, Brando is visibly sweating throughout the film which adds a lot to the intensity and angst between the characters. The tension in the early stages is palpable and gradually rises until tempers become flared producing a fascinating finale that leaves you a little dazed and uneasy. Without a doubt Tennessee Williams is one of the greatest playwright of all time and its credit to the production of this movie that it lives up to the screenplay.

4/4 superb performances held up by an intriguing yet claustrophobic plot

Film Review: Brassed Off

Director: Mark Herman

A British drama that was sponsored by Channel 4 and The Guardian newspaper, it was expected to be a very low profile film which might garner some support over time as people who relate to the issues of the mines closing around the UK begin to see it. Nobody expected it to become the huge hit that it became and is now revered as a classic British movie.

The film is set in the fictional mining town of Grimley in the mid-1990's, which is based on the real town of Grimthorpe. The local workers all work as miners but also play in colliery brass band which includes Andy (Ewan McGregor), Phil (Steve Tompkinson) and passionate conductor Danny (Pete Poslethwaite). Gloria (Tara Fitzgerald) re-appears in the town to investigate the viability of keeping the coal mine open on behalf of the management at British Coal after having grown up there. She becomes torn between her feelings for the local people and being honest with her bosses about the pit.

Grimley Colliery Band

A moving drama which lightens the mood with some well placed comedy. It is a film about one communities fight against the sweeping change that is happening throughout a nation and changing the landscape forever. The local communities realise that the closure of the mine would mean the death of jobs and an economy in the town, something that still hugely affects many towns around Yorkshire and Northumberland especially. Behind the sweet moments involving Andy and Glorida there is a lot of anger and anti-conservative sentiment at the way the Thatcher regime broke the trade unions and destroyed people's way of life.

The acting performances are genuinely impressive especially from Pete Poslethwaite, who you can see takes huge pride in the success of the brass band. He hides his anger when mistakes are made or member turn up drunk but shows all his emotion when things go right. It's a superb movie that has you rooting for the miners from start to finish.

4/4 funny yet unmistakeably bleak and real

This weeks releases

End of Watch: Action thriller following two LA cops who get on the wrongside of a drugs cartel after arresting one of its members. They must survive a hit put out on them as they have the opportunity to put the cartel out of business forever. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena.

Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger: Teacher Mr Peterson (David Tennant) enters his underachieving primary school in the 'song for christmas' competition and goes head to head with his twin brother who works at a private school. Mostly a road-trip movie on the way to the competition.

Gambit: An art expert needs to a can a richman into buying a fake Monet painting so enlists the help of an eccentric Rodeo champion from Texas in this comedy starring Colin Firth and Cameron Diaz.

Film Preview: A Good Day to Die Hard

Bruce Willis just keeps coming back, rolling back the years to return as John McClane and save the day! Willis was 57 when the shooting for this movie took place proving to the BBC that you can still be popular even in old age on TV and film. There were many actors considered for the role of his son Jack including Chris Hemsworth (thank god he wasn't picked), Aaron Paul and James Badge Dale before settling on Jai Courtney. Not much else is known about this movie after two teaser trailers were released but with comedy and action rolled into one movie again I'm sure it will be a hit at the box office.

Movie Poster

In this movie, McClane returns to action when his son Jack (Jai Courtney) gets into trouble in Moscow, Russia and whilst bailing him out becomes embroiled in a bigger terrorist plot.

A Good Day to Die Hard is released in the UK on 14th February 2013 and the trailer is embedded below:

Film Review: The Silence of the Lambs

Director: Jonathan Demme

Based on the book of the same name by Thomas Harris, this was a second attempt at making a film version of a book from the series by Harris after the film Manhunter was released with Brian Cox in the role of Dr. Hannibal Lecter. The role of Lecter was originally going to be taken by Gene Hackman who would also direct but he pulled out due to the graphic content of the screenplay.

Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins)

The lead performance from Jodie Foster is superb as the new FBI agent who deals in Behavioural Sciences and is tasked with interviewing the intelligent yet cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins who is also superb). The interviews and conversations between the characters are incredibly intelligent and leave you questioning the ulterior motives of both characters, they are truly fascinating to watch which is a testament to the acting performances as well as the direction.

Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) interviews Hannibal Lecter to try and gain an insight into a killers mind as the FBI try to hunt down a man nicknamed Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine) who skins his female victims after he has killed them. Lecter plays a game of quid quo pro with Starling so they exchange information for which they are both interested in and means that Starling gives out information from her past that she is not supposed to discuss. As Buffalo Bill takes a senator's daughter, it's a race against time to try and catch the serial killer.

Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster)

Despite not being an instant success, it steadily grew in popularity and then became a huge hit sweeping many awards including Oscars for Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Actress. It is a truly terrifying film in both Lecter and Buffalo Bill providing incredibly haunting qualities whilst the screenplay is arguably one of the greatest ever written.

4/4 an absolute classic horror-thriller