Film Review: Avengers Assemble

Director: Joss Whedon

The sixth instalment in the franchise sees all of the super heroes come together to save the world. The idea for the film actually started in 2005 after Marvel studios received a grant from Merrill Lynch to develop the film but stalled and was revisited in 2008 after the success of the first Iron Man film. The budget for the film was $220 million following lengthy production and isn't scheduled to be released in the US until Friday 4th May 2012.

An exiled Norse god called Loki (Tom Hiddleston), who is Thor's brother, comes to Earth through a portal created by the Tesseract which is an energy source with unknown potential. He quickly steals the Tesseract from S.H.I.E.L.D. which he intends to use to take over the world so that he will be in charge and have people bow down to him. In response, Nick Fury (Samuel L.Jackson) reactivates the Avengers Initiative in the hope of getting the Tesseract back so he sends various agents out to locate Iron Man, Captain America and The Hulk whilst Thor also appears back on Earth to try and reason with his brother Loki but to no avail. It is left to the Avengers to protect the world from Loki and his army whilst getting the Tesseract back.



Movie Poster

The first thing that strikes you about the film is that the action sequences are very well done, as you would expect. There are some superb special effects on display and my only criticism is that having watched it in 3D I thought they could have developed this aspect even more. The second thing is there are a lot of funny moments in the film and I found myself laughing a lot more than I expected with the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) providing some of the more hilarious moments.

The mix of different characters and super heroes coming together to fight as one is an intriguing one, most are used to fighting alone and without instruction. It creates some great scenes where Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) can provide his cutting quips whilst everyone tries not to anger Bruce Banner at the same time. It keeps what is otherwise a quite formulaic and familiar plot interesting for what is actually quite a long film. The excellent script writing is the reason Avengers Assemble rises above so many similar films.

3.5/4 hugely entertaining and funny, blockbuster already

Film Preview: American Pie The Reunion

You didn't think that the American Pie franchise was going to end on Jim (Jason Biggs) and Michelle (Alyson Hannigan) getting married? Well if you did you were quite wrong as the whole gang are back for a reunion. It is the fourth installment in the franchise not counting the direct to DVD releases. Are the cinema going public still in love with American Pie nearly 9 years after the last film was released?

The gang looking older but definitely not wiser

The gang is brought back together as a high school reunion is announced for 1999 class of East Great Falls so Jim, Oz, Kevin and Finch all prepare to come back having now moved into adult life with adult responsibilities. At a bar having a drink they run into Stifler who joins the party for the reunion weekend which kicks off the mayhem. Look out for cameos from all the usual characters like Stifler's mom and Sherman as well as less likely characters such as Chad Ochocinco (taking time out from doing nothing in New England).

American Pie: The Reunion is released in the UK on Wednesday 2nd May and the trailer is embedded below in case you've been living in a cave for the past few weeks and haven't seen it.

Film Review: Friday Night Lights

Director: Peter Berg

Before the TV series Friday Night Lights became a huge hit over 5 series and Kyle Chandler won an Emmy for his performance as Coach Taylor, there was the non-fiction book by H.G. Bissinger that was converted into a movie and directed by Peter Berg. The film tries to stay a lot closer to the original text by still being set in Permian and featuring the real names of some of the players that played for Permian Panthers in 1988. The book also goes into the history of the town especially during the difficult times of forced racial integration in Texas schools.

Gary Caines (Billy Bob Thornton) addresses his players before a game

Coach Gary Gaines (Billy Bob Thornton) is under constant pressure from the boosters and fans of the town to bring success to the town of Permian through the towns high school Football team. He overuses star player James ''Boobie'' Miles (Derek Luke) who tears his ACL whilst playing and is likely to miss the playoffs. The arrogance of Boobie starts to disappear as his injury struggles to heal and he realises he might not get a scholarship to a big Football college. The team fight on without their star running back and hope to bring the State Championship back to Permian whilst the players must consider their own futures.

The film couldn't be set further away from the glitz and the glamour of the NFL, it looks candidly at the hard work and sacrifice the players make to play for their high school football team in the hope that they might land a scholarship to college. It doesn't sugarcoat the fact that the last game the players play for the team will be their last game of Football for the rest of their lives. All the blood, sweat and pain for your career to be over before you turn 18? Certainly far from glamorous.

James ''Boobie'' Miles (Derek Luke) the team's star running back

The portrayal of a small Texan town is clear and precise, about the only thing more important in the town than the Football team is God. The people of Permian were much happier with the film version of events than they were with the book which is certainly more critical of them and their beliefs. Derek Luke is superb as Boobie who has to deal with being the fallen star after injury potentially derails his entire life, Billy Bob Thornton is decent as Coach Gaines but is certainly no Kyle Chandler from the TV series.

3.5/4 great insight to small-town America and the tough world of high-school Football

PS Trivia: Roy Williams (Wide Receiver for Chicago Bears) is a Permian alumnus and appeared in the movie as an assistant coach for Midland Lee.

This week's releases

The Avengers: The summer blockbuster season is upon us with the first in a line of Superhero movies to be released this summer. The Avengers sees many popular characters including Ironman, Captain America and Thor to name a few coming together to save the world.

The Avengers Preview

Albert Nobbs: This is the story of a woman, played by Glenn Close, who poses a man in order to get work in Ireland in the 19th century. She soon realises that its a role she might have to play forever as escape is not possible.

Outside Bet: A British comedy set during the industrial actions of the unions in the 1980's, a group of friends who have been made redundant decide to invest their remaining savings into a racehorse in the hope that it is the ticket to making money.

Damsels in Distress: Three girls at a male dominated college in America decide to fight for equality and decide to cheer up some of the female students with a variety of different escapades. But their friendship is tested when romance begins to blossom.

Film Review: Rogue Trader

Director: James Dearden

A film I had never seen and given the economic crisis that we've been engulfed in, it seemed apt to watch it. Nick Leeson is the man who started his own financial crisis in South-East Asia by gambling with his own companies money but made everybody believe it was a mystery customer throwing big money into the market. It is based around Leeson's book Rogue Trader: How I brought down Barings Bank and shook the financial world. The money that Leeson lost at the time is actually small fry considering the losses that the banks have written off in the past few years.

Nick Leeson (Ewan McGregor) on the trading floor

 Nick Leeson (young and fresh-faced Ewan McGregor) seems to have worked his way up in Barings Bank and has it all. Job as a top trader, a beautiful wife and money in his pocket in Jakarta, Indonesia. He soon starts to hide away losses in a secret error account (88888 account) but the managers in London believe he is making millions of pounds and everyone thinks he has a secret investor which is putting all the money into the market. As the losses continue to pile up, Leeson is struggling to conceal it with auditors sniffing round and seemingly no way out.

The first two things that hit you in the opening minutes of the film are McGregor's cockney accent that seems to be quite annoying although probably accurate but this isn't as off-putting as how dated the film looks. You instantly know you are watching a film made in the 1990's, the cameras and effects used are renowned from the time the film was made which unfortunately detracts from the film.

Nick Leeson starts to realise his losses

Ewan McGregor and Anna Friel could have been used to better effect within the film, I would go as far as to say they are wasted considering their talents. But worse than that it fails to grip you in parts and does not build the tension as well as it should. The story of Nick Leeson and the Asian banking market at the time is truly fascinating from some of the books I have read but this film fails to live up to that except in small parts. The action in the bear pit of the trading floor is more impressive and the attitudes and characters of the senior managers at Barings Bank are probably very realistic yet worrying.

2/4 an average effort on a thrilling subject matter

Film Review: L.A. Confidential

Director: Curtis Hanson

Released in 1997 and based on the popular book by James Ellroy of the same name, L.A. Confidential looks at the LAPD in 1953 under the back drop of police corruption. Two of the main roles in the film were given to Guy Pearce and Russell Crowe who were relative unknowns at the time. The production team then went on to cast more established stars like Kevin Spacey and Danny DeVito. It was nominated for 9 Academy Awards and won two for Best Screenplay and Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Kim Basinger.

Captain Dudley Smith (James Cromwell), Det. Lt. Ed Exley (Guy Pearce), Officer Bud White (Russell Crowe) and Det. Sgt. Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey)

Three LA police detectives (Exley, White and Vincennes) all become seperately involved in a case at the Nite Owl coffee shop after half a dozen people are found to have been gunned down. Tension between the three is high after Ed Exley (Guy Pearce) testified in a police brutality case against Detective Stensland who is Bud White's (Russell Crowe) partner. It doesn't take long before Exley is in the middle of a huge case which will define his career in the police force.

The issue of crooked cops always seems to come back to Los Angeles, maybe it's just the way it used to be in the city. This film has a lot more going for it than your routine crime thriller. Starting with the script, which is always the most important thing, it's slick and clever. The plot twists and turns especially in the second half of the film but doesn't become overly confusing whilst the acting is sharp and impressive. Russell Crowe is excellent as the hot headed Officer ''Bud'' White who shows no remorse to the men that beat up women and bares his soul as to why in a touching scene with high class prostitute Lynn Bracken (Kim Basinger).

Lynn Bracken (Kim Basinger)

In many ways the film is quite cynical in it's look at the LAPD and the criminal underworld, everybody is flawed except Ed Exley who is trying to emulate his father who was killed in action. To get things done in the LAPD you have to be willing to operate outside the law no matter who you are, that is a big theme that runs through the entire movie. The whole film carries a sense of menace due to the unwavering amount of bloody shootouts and physical beatings that are handed out. The sideline plot of the police working with and being shown in a positive light in the media is also an intriguing storyline, another show of possibly police corruption.

The movie is very faithful to the book, which is highly regarded by many critics in its own right, and is totally gripping until the final scenes whilst the 1950's setting is a joy to see.

4/4 thrilling plot twists keep you gripped till the end.

Film Review: Vanishing Point

Director: Richard C. Safarian

Vanishing Point is one of the definitive road movies of the 1970's as the whole film is based around a car chase and features the hugely popular Dodge Challenger against the police. It was filmed in the American Southwest (mainly Nevada and Utah) and is known for its commentary on the racist attitudes of the region at the time. The film has since been the inspiration for other movies and music videos.

The 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T 440 Magnum

Kowalski (Barry Newman) is a car delivery driver and instantly picks up a 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T 440 Magnum in white to be delivered to San Francisco from Denver by Monday after finshing his last delivery. Despite warnings by the service clerk about getting some rest, he buys some Benzedrine tablets from his dealer, Jake (Lee Weaver). He bets him that he can make it into San Francisco by 3.30pm the next day despite the delivery not being due till Monday. It doesn't take long before he is pursued by the Police for speeding and challenged to a race by another passing driver.

As the pursuit continues, a blind African-American disc jockey called Super Soul (the excellent Cleavon Little) supports Kowalski saying he is ''the last American hero'' and is able to talk to Kowalski somehow through his radio. As the chase continues more people tune in to here the progress and cheer Kowalski on but some people aren't happy with him or Super Soul.

Kowalski (Barry Newman)

The film wasn't popular upon it's release but gradually built up a cult following. Steven Spielberg said it was one of his favourite movies of all time and is similar in idea to his first feature film Duel. Quentin Tarantino also loved the film and features a similar chase with a Dodge Challenger in his Grindhouse feature Death Proof.

Kowalski is an iconic figure who is hard to understand in the movie. Why does he have to be in San Francisco by 3.30pm the next day? What happened to his old girlfriend Vera who haunts his day dreams? The film shows a great insight into the American Southwest at the time with snake catchers, hippies and racists galore. It's a simple film in terms of plot but is just engrossing to watch in the way the car chases are filmed and the superb scenery of the Nevada desert. Watch this movie and you'll instantly want to buy an old American muscle car and go drive across America, I know I did.

4/4 Classic road movie which leaves plenty of intriguing questions

Film Review: Buried

Director: Rodrigo Cortés

Buried is a Spanish thriller which was written by Chris Sparling and sees the whole film take place within a wooden box. The concept is always a difficult one to pull off, filming an entire movie in one space and for it still to be entertaining, it's even harder when that one space is a dark wooden box where the only light comes from a mobile phone, a lighter and some glow sticks. Following the film's release Ryan Reynolds talked about how he hated filming Buried due to spending long periods in the dark box and spent the next three days after filming finished outside a lot (including sleeping outside).

The opening few minutes of the film are filmed in darkness as Paul Conroy (excellently played by Ryan Reynolds) wakes up and realises that he is trapped in a wooden box. He then remembers that whilst driving his truck through Iraq that his convoy was attacked by insurgents and that other drivers were killed. Conroy has his mobile phone so contacts the FBI and then the people he realises have kidnapped him who initially want £5 million dollars to release him. He becomes increasingly annoyed with the bureaucracy he faces when calling home as people don't realise the peril he is in.

Paul Conroy (Ryan Reynolds) inside the wooden box

The superb plot twists and turns throughout the movie to keep you constantly engrossed in what is happening, you really don't feel like you've just watched Ryan Reynolds in a box for 90 minutes. The action is incredibly claustrophobic as at no point do we leave the box and on numerous occasions we are left in darkness, the opening scenes where there is no light and the only sound is the breathing of Paul was incredibly un-nerving. I actually felt disappointed after the film finished that I never saw it in the cinemas as this would only have added to the experience.

We follow the hope, despair and frustration of Paul as he believes he might be saved by Dan Brenner (Rob Paterson who we only hear over the phone) who heads up the local hostage rescue group and tries to tap the phones to figure out his location. The tension is ratchetted up by the fact the group have only a few hours to find him according to the man holding him hostage and that Paul has only a limited air supply in the box so needs to conserve air by not panicking. But gripping suspense and claustrophobic tension are not the only things on offer; look out for a darkly funny phone call from his employers in America as well.

3.5/4 an innovative, thrilling and well-acted film

Film Review: Rudy

Director: David Anspaugh

Based on the life of Daniel ''Rudy'' Ruettiger who always dreamed of playing American Football for the 'Fighting Irish' of Notre Dame University. It was the first film to be shot on campus since 1940 and Rudy is now a legend in Notre Dame folklore.

*spoiler alert*

Daniel ''Rudy'' Ruettiger (Sean Astin) always dreamed of going to Notre Dame and playing for the 'Fighting Irish' but was always too small to make it on a college scholarship as well as not being talented enough. After taking a job in the local steel mill with his Dad, he witnesses the death of one of his best friends and decides to follow his dream. He is helped by Father Cavanaugh (Robert Prosky) and D-Bob (Jon Favreau in his film debut) through Junior college so he has good enough grades to get into Notre Dame. He also gets a job maintaining the stadium with Fortune (Charles S.Dutton) who promises to watch his first ever game if Rudy ever dresses.

Rudy is a truly inspirational film, made all the better by the fact its quite closely based on real life. Sean Astin plays Rudy with unbound enthusiasm mirroring the real character who defied all the odds to play two downs for Notre Dame and be only the second ever play to be carried off the field by his team-mates. Charles S. Dutton is also superb as the groundskeeper who looks after Rudy by giving him a place to stay without ever showing Rudy how he feels about him till the end when he actually appears at a game.

Rudy convinces Fortune to give him a job as a Groundskeeper at the stadium

One of the most famous scenes from the movie is when numerous players lay their jersey on the desk of new head coach Dan Devine saying that Rudy can have their spot on the roster that day. It is a truly moving scene but is unfortunately not true although some players did speak with the coach about letting him play. The film does a great job of showing the sacrificies and hard work that Rudy makes to follow his dream rather than skip past it too quickly which makes the film all the better.

3.5/4 Inspirational movie about never giving up, can't help but feel good at the end.

Film Review: Remember the Titans

American football is an intrinsic part of American culture and film. Alongside my good friend and fellow blogger The Rolling Picture we will hope to provide insight and thoughts on American film and football in a series called “American Film and Football” (up all night on that one.)

Director: Boaz Yakin

A Walt Disney film which has been produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and based on a true story involving the real life characters of Gerry Bertier and Julius Campbell. The film features a soundtrack featuring a lot of music popular in 1971 which is when the movie is set.

The team during training camp

T.C. Williams high school in Alexandria, Virginia has been desegregated due to a new race law in the county. Herman Boone (played with huge integrity by Denzel Washington) is appointed as the new head coach much to the dismay of many people in the town and it is his job to bring the black and white athletes together to make a winning team. A task made very difficult by the early arguments and fights that the players have at training camp. The American Football scenes are definitely from the old-school where teams power up the middle with the running back and a hard hitting defense, one team uses the shotgun and are mocked by one of the Titans coach. It's realistic football for a high school in 1971.

Aside from a strong performance from Denzel Washington, there are smaller roles for actors like Donald Faison, Ethan Suplee and Ryan Gosling all appearing in roles quite different from what they are known for. Wood Harris and Ryan Hurst play the two main characters within the team who are both use to being the top player on the defense, both play the arrogant yet intelligent men well.

I think you have overlooked a fantastic performance by a young Hayden Panitierre (famous for Heroes and dating huge men.) She plays Sheryl Yoast, daughter of Bill Yoast. She portrays a lot of anger in the film, without being overblown. Her friendship with Boone’s daughter is a great sub plot and provides great anchor point to the more touchy subjects in the fil,.

I also thing the left side/strong side scene between Gerry Bertier and Julius Campbell is a sweet moment and provides some heartfelt sincerity.

Interesting fact about the last game in the film, Hollywood made it a close battle but in reality the 1971 Titans won the championship game 27-0 with the opposing team getting -5 yards of offense. No one likes a winner.

Julius Campbell (Wood Harris) and Gerry Bertier (Ryan Hurst) argue

It's a story of how sports, in this case American Football, can bring people together despite the racial prejudices that were present at the time. One scene is when the team return to school after training camp to see riots from protestors and none of the students mixing with one another, it's a weird feeling for the guys on the football team as they have already learnt to trust each other and be friends so don't necessarily understand what all the fuss is about anymore. The topics are approached in a sensitive but slightly unsubtle way with Denzel Washington the power and behind the message.

I think this is a fantastic film and addresses some tricky problems with sensitivity whilst creating a motivational and family orientated film. This being Disney there had to be a happy ending and some of the scenes were toned down a little compared to the real life incidents (Replacing an entire toilet with a brick was a nice touch.) The football was what you expect from a film with few full-back runs and lots of four verticals glamour plays but hey ho it’s about the kids, not the football.

Cannes 2012 Film Festival

The 2012 Cannes Film Festival is around the corner which means much anticipation surronding which films will be entered for the competition and which director's will be taking part. David Cronenberg has entered Cosmopolis starring Robert Pattinson and from the small trailer I saw it looks intriguing and hopefully sees Cronenberg back to doing what he does best after A Dangerous Method. Wes Anderson's new film Moonrise Kingdom opens the festival but is also entered for the competition, first time that has happened since 2008. The Paperboy directed by Lee Daniels is another intriguing prospect which sees Zac Braff go back to big screen. But with so many films in the competition it is almost impossible to predict any early favourites.

Away from the competition there is the second sequel in the Madagascar franchise that has been so popular as well as some interesting special screenings especially a film memoir about Roman Polanski who has had a fascinating life to say the least.

Cannes Film Festival Poster

Full list

Opening night
Moonrise Kingdom, Wes Anderson

Competition
Amour, Michael Haneke
The Angels' Share, Ken Loach
Baad el mawkeaa, Yousry Nasrallah
Beyond the Hills, Cristian Mungiu
Cosmopolis, David Cronenberg
Holy Motors, Leos Carax
The Hunt, Thomas Vinterberg
Killing Them Softly, Andrew Dominik
In Another Country, Hong Sang-soo
In the Fog, Sergei Loznitsa
Lawless, John Hillcoat
Like Someone in Love, Abbas Kiarostami
Mud, Jeff Nichols
On the Road, Walter Salles
The Paperboy, Lee Daniels
Paradies: Liebe, Ulrich Seidl
Post tenebras lux, Carlos Reygadas
Reality, Matteo Garrone
Rust and Bone, Jacques Audiard
Taste of Money, Im Sang-soo
You Haven't Seen Anything Yet, Alain Resnais

Out of competition
Hemingway & Gellhorn, Philip Kaufman
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted, Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath, Conrad Vernon
Me and You, Bernardo Bertolucci

Un Certain Regard
7 Days in Havana, Benicio del Toro, Pablo Trapero, Julio Medem, Elia
Suleiman, Juan Carlos Tabio, Gaspar Noe, Laurent Cantet
11.25 The Day He Chose His Own Fate, Koji Wakamatsu
Antiviral, Brandon Cronenberg
Beasts of the Southern Wild, Benh Zeitlin
Confession of a Child of the Century, Sylvie Verheyde
Despues de Lucia, Michel Franco
La Pirogue, Moussa Toure
La Playa, Juan Andres Arango
Laurence Anyways, Xavier Dolan
Le grand soir, Benoit Delepine, Gustave Kervern
Les Chevaux de Dieu, Nabil Ayouch
Loving Without Reason, Joachim Lafosse
Miss Lovely, Ashim Ahluwalia
Mystery, Lou Ye
Student, Darezhan Omirbayev
Trois mondes, Catherine Corsini
White Elephant, Pablo Trapero

Midnight screenings
Dario Argento's Dracula, Dario Argento
The Legend of Love & Sincerity, Japan, Takashi Miike

Special screenings
A musica segundo, Tom Jobim, Nelson Pereira Dos Santos
The Central Park Five, Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, David McMahon
Der Mull im Garten Eden, Fatih Akin
Journal de France, Claudine Nougaret, Raymond Depardon
Les Invisibles, Sebastien Lifshitz
Mekong Hotel, Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Roman Polanski: A Film Memoir, Laurent Bouzereau
Villegas, Gonzalo Tobal

Closing night film
Therese D, Claude Miller

This weeks releases

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen: Emily Blunt convinces Ewan McGregor to help bring Salmon fishing to the Yemen in this British comedy.

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen Preview

Gone: "I'll sleep when he's dead". Amanda Seyfried produces probably one of the most clichéd lines of all time in the trailer. Having survived an abduction last year where she was thrown into a hole in the woods, Jill (Seyfried) finds that her sister is gone and believes she was taken by the same man who abducted her but the police find nothing and don't believe her.

Marley: A film documenting the life of Bob Marley with interviews from his family and the people that knew him.

Marley Film Preview

Lockout: Guy Pearce is a falsely convicted ex-government agent who is the only man who can save the President's daughter who is being held hostage on a prison spaceship which has been taken over by the inmates. Expect lots of explosions and heroic moments from Mr. Pearce.

The Divide: Nine strangers are trapped in the basement of their New York City apartment block following a nuclear attack, as they realise that they are all possibly doomed they begin to panic and stop trusting one another but one of them has a novel way of escaping the ensuing panic.

Film Review: 21 Jump Street

Director: Phil Lord and Chris Miller

The film was based around the idea for the 1980's TV show of the same name which starred Johnny Depp and was co-written by Jonah Hill himself. Already there have been discussions surrounding a sequel with a test script already being produced which must have been after seeing the initial reviews, which so far have been generally favourable.

Morton Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Greg Jenko (Channing Tatum)

Morton Schmidt (Jonah Hill) was the stereotypical geek in high school and was bullied by jock Greg Jenko (Channing Tatum) but the two end up becoming friends during police academy. They end up working park patrol but a failure to read a suspects Miranda rights properly means they are sent down to 21 Jump Street to work under the angry Captain Dickson (Ice Cube doing what he does best, shouting at people). They are sent to infiltrate a drugs ring in a high school but find that high school has changed quite a lot since they were there.

For the most part the movie pokes fun at the usual stereotypes within cop movies and high school movies, very different from the original TV series which was actually a serious programme based around cops going undercover in high schools. The film seems to fluctuate between quite clever jokes and needlessly foul mouthed crude jokes, possibly trying to interest as many people as possible. My opinion on the film changed quite dramatically as I was laughing at certain jokes then within seconds was disappointed by another.

Schmidt and Jenko receive a trademark bollocking from Captain Dickson (Ice Cube)

Channing Tatum is a surprise package in the film compared to being terrible in everything else he has done but is actually just about watchable in this, he still lacks the ability to deliver comedy in the same way as Jonah Hill does. Although Hill isn't perfect here either as he seems to always want to play Seth in Superbad again, Ice Cube plays exactly the sort of role you would expect him to but to be fair is very good at it and certainly lifts the movie in a comedic sense.

2/4 Doesnt take itself seriously but some are just too obvious and crude.

Natascha Kampusch ordeal to be made into film

In the last few days it has been announced that the horrifying ordeal of Natascha Kampusch, an Austrian woman who was held captive in a cellar for eight years, is to be made into a feature film. This case is not to be confused with the Jozef Fritzl crimes that were also reported around a similar time.

The working title of the film is '3096' which is the number of days she was imprisoned for within the cellar. The screenplay is being written by Bernd Eichinger who is no stranger to writing claustrophobic films after being the man behind Downfall which followed the final days of Hitler in his bunker in Berlin. He met with Natascha on numerous occasions before he died in January 2011. The aim of the studio is to re-create the 2m x 3m cell to make it look exactly the same as the real one and to attempt to stay close to the real facts which includes dealing with the sexual abuse that she suffered during her imprisonment.

Natascha Kampusch will be played by Amelia Pidgeon as a teenager and then by Antonia Campbell-Hughes as an adult whilst Danish actor Thule Lindhart will play the role of Prikopil who abducted Kampusch. There is no doubt that this will be a difficult film to watch due to the subject matter which will have to be carefully dealt with and will be made all the more horrifying by knowing that the events have really happened. I'm still not convinced that showing what happened to Natascha Kampusch on the big screen is a good idea, the information is out there to be read through various books and news outlets. What is to be gained by making the film?

Film Review: Headhunters

Director: Morten Tyldum

Adapted from the best selling book by Jo Nesbo and like all popular Scandanavian novels it was adapted to the big screen in it's native language first. This is the Norwegian version, meaning subtitles, and Hollywood as already announced an English speaking remake to be released in 2014 sometime with the rumour being that Roger Brown will be played by Mark Wahlberg. Now that sounds like literally the worst idea of all time to me and even more so after I watched this movie. It's not perfect but it is still very good and will only improve when a remake is finally released.

Roger Brown (Aksel Hennie)

Roger Brown (coolly played by Askel Hennie) is a suave and hugely successful businessman, as demonstrated at the beginning of the movie when he mets an applicant for a director's job, he has personal issues regarding his height and the fact his wife is a lot more attractive than he is. On the side from his recruitment business, he steals art paintings and replaces them with forgeries in people's homes so he can sell them on the black market to help pay for his expensive home, that he doesn't like, and his wifes new art gallery. Although he seems to have met his match when he mets Clas Greve who appears to be the perfect candidate for a role but also has an original Rubens painting potentially worth millions.

The three main characters played by Hennie, Coster Waldau and Synnøve Macody Lund (Diana Brown) are all perfectly cast in their roles. Continuing with the theme of Roger Brown doing the narration from his own point of view was certainly the correct one as it added a lot to the book. A few scenes which I felt were quite key were cut out of the movie but this is inevitable when cutting a book down into a film. I was delightfully looking forward to scenes such as the outdoor toilet near the cabin in the woods and the crash with the police car, I was certainly not disappointed.

Clas Greve (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) with his attack dog 

The main disappointment for me is that the character of Clas Greve is under-used, certain scenes where he is at his best are left out of the film. This leaves him as less of a person and makes him seem like a man without any emotion to presumably make him seem more threatening and scary to the watcher. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau was very good as Clas Greve so it's a shame he wasn't fully utilised.

But the book itself is a thrill ride with twists and turns at every corner which are all fully played out in the film. I would highly recommend reading the book first but it certainly isn't crucial. The film does have a very Norwegian feel to it, aside from just the subtitles, especially when it comes to the cinematography which again should be applauded. After seeing the film, think about the house Roger Brown lives in and tell me you don't want to live there? Just not sure I'd steal paintings to do so!

3.5/4 Great adaptation that is thrilling and has clever twists from start to finish

Original Film Ideas

As more and more films are now remakes or sequels, it begs the question. Are there any original ideas in the film industry anymore? It seems that these days that even if we aren't looking at a remake or sequel then the film is either adapted from a book or based on real life (which could be argued as being original as based on real life usually means very little).

Transformers director Michael Bay who is frequently criticised

My girlfriend has been complaining of this problem for a while now and it's only when you look deeper that you realise that there is a struggle for original new films. The risk of spending big money making a movie that flops is greater than ever, just look at John Carter, and remakes and sequels tend to be more certain in terms of revenue. I think many people are frustrated with unimaginative film franchises like Transformers which is to now be re-booted by Bay himself, which literally makes no sense. Spider-man has also been re-booted this summer which is a trick that should just be left to the Batman franchise as per tradition. Without a doubt though the Spider-man reboot will make money compared to it's budget so everyone involved in funding and making the film will surely be happy.

Spider-man reboot: a good idea?

But then Tarantino once said "If the movie industry makes one masterpiece a year then it's justified it's own existence".

Feel free to agree or disagree in the comments box.

Film Review: The Pianist

Director: Roman Polanski

Roman Polanski directs an adaptation of the memoirs of Jewish-Polish musician Wladyslaw Szpilman during the Second World War when the Jews were persecuted and made to live within the ghetto in Warsaw. Polanski felt deeply connected to the story as he escaped from the Krakow ghetto as a child when his mother was killed and survived on a Polish farm until the end of the war. The Warsaw ghetto was recreated in Babelsburg studios and old Soviet army barracks were also used. The film was very well received on it's release with Polanski winning Best Director and Adrien Brody winning Best Actor at the Academy Awards in 2003.

Wladyslaw (Adrien Brody) in the ghetto after many Jews were sent to the  concentration camps

Wladyslaw Szpilman (Adrien Brody who fully deserved his Oscar award for Best Actor) is a a famous Jewish pianist who is live on the radio as the Nazi's invade Poland. The conditions for the Jews slowly deteriorate until they are forced to live within a ghetto where Szpilman narrowly avoids transportation to a concentration camp by his friend in the Jewish Police. The rest of the film follows his attempts to survive from the Nazi's during the war in the hope of being able to play the piano again.

Despite having read a lot and seen quite a films on the subject I still found The Pianist quite harrowing. It is a heartfelt film which owes a lot to the historical accuracy that has been maintained to the original memoirs of Wladyslaw Szpilman. As a famous pianist he was inevitably able to pull strings to help as the Jews were being abused and killed around Warsaw. Polanski directs some truly horrific scenes which include Jews being forced to lie on the floor to be shot and a wheelchair bound man being tipped off a balcony and Jews eating off the muddy floor due to hunger. 

Wladyslaw showing off his piano skills

The tense scene where Szpilman plays the piano for Wehrmacht Captain Wilm Hosenfeld (Thomas Kretschmann) who is so moved by the performance that he helps him and gives him food is a superb climatic scene. I was pleased the film shed light on the uprisings that happened in the Jewish ghetto in Warsaw, many Jews were unhappy to just wait around to be killed and took on the Nazi's even if it meant they would be killed when caught. They were unhappy to be taken out without a fight and shows the bravery of them during this tough time. 

It's a film where you can feel it was close to Polanski's heart and the unflinching brutality on display is obviously born out of his real experiences as a child. This only makes the film more realistic and seriously makes you think about life at this time.

4/4 truly horrific and moving film

This week's releases

A quick look at this week's movie releases

Cabin in the Woods: Five friends (who've obviously never watched a horror movie before) decide to spend a holiday at a secluded cabin in the woods and are soon given a set of rules to follow. Once they get there they start breaking the rules they find out that the cabin has been built for for punishment for rule breakers.

Reviews have been positive so far despite the clichéd idea so could be a sleeper hit.

Battleship: Technically this film is already out after a release on Wednesday 11th April (great day!). Our planet is battling for survival in this epic action movie mostly set on boats and submarines with some aerial action thrown in for good measure. A host of stars appear including Liam Neeson, Taylor Kitsch (John Carter) and Rihanna.

Delicacy: French romantic comedy starring Audrey Tautou (Amelie) as Nathalie who has to deal with the death of her husband by working every hour that she can. Her plan is quickly ended when she starts dating a young colleague from work.

Film Review: Into the Abyss

Director: Werner Herzog

Into the Abyss, subtitled A Tale of Death, A Tale of Life is a documentary by Werner Herzog which looks at two men convicted of murder in the state of Texas where the death penalty is still in use. At some points it discusses whether the death penalty is the right thing to do in these cases or whether life imprisonment is sufficient. Herzog himself is against the death penalty but doesn't use this film as an opportunity to promote this, he just presents the facts as well as the thoughts and feelings of every involved in the murders. Werner Herzog and editor Joe Bini found that editing the footage was so stressful due to lack of material that they both took up smoking again.

Jason Birkett who was given a life sentence in 2001, he is up for parole in 2041

The film begins with an interview with law enforcements officers who take us through the scene of the murders and attempt to explain what happened. After this we move on to interviews with Michael Perry (convicted and executed just 8 days after the interviews and Jason Birkett (life sentence) as well as family members of the victims. There is also interview's with Jason Birkett's father who has also spent most of this life in prison who speaks of the blame he feels for not being there when his son was growing up. He also spoke at the trial pleading with the jury not to murder his son and to give him a life sentence. To finish off there are some slightly stranger interviews with Birkett's wife who married him after his incarceration and is now believed to be carrying his child.

The interviews with Jason Birkett's father were the most interesting as he speaks of home life for Jason without a father and a single mother with disabilities trying to raise 4 children. Jason certainly comes across as the more intelligent person compared to Michael Perry which does make you wonder why he committed these crimes but alcohol and drugs are usually present. The film does suffer from the questions being a bit pedestrian at times but also does have a fascinating interview with the former Captain Fred Allen who attended and performed over 120 executions for the state of Texas before having a mental breakdown about his job.

The main flaw is that both Perry and Birkett maintain their innocence for the murders, despite the fact that Perry led the police to the two of the bodies that they hadn't found, meaning that we never find out why they committed these crimes and what they were thinking at the time. This is the huge insight that a lot of people are looking for when murderers are interviewed and profiled.

2.5/4 Fascinating look at the case and people behind but lacks the cutting insight into the murders minds.

Film Review: 2001: A Space Odyssey

Director: Stanley Kubrick

2001: A Space Odyssey is an amazing visual spectacle

Released in 1968, 2001: A Space Odyssey was co-written by Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke. On watching this film again I found it incredibly difficult to review in the conventional sense as it is very different to most other films. The dialogue in the film is incredibly limited and most of the film is portrated visually and by the use of classical music throughout the film. It is a triumph of visual art especially in the final 20mins when Dr. David Bowman (Keir Dullea) approaches Jupiter in his pod and is transported into a tunnel of light displaying many strange astrological phenomena.

The film itself is in 4 distinct sections which are all based round a large black monolith that is present all 4 parts that emits a loud radio signal that deafens anything nearby. The first section depicts the dawn of man as early humans search for food and slowly learn to use tools before we are transported into space where a Pan Am Space Plane where there is a rumour of a mysterious epidemic at the base. They also run into the black monolith that emits a loud radio signal just as they are being photographed in front of it. The third and fourth section is most renowned in the film where a crew are in deep space with HAL 9000, an intelligent computer that runs the ship.

HAL 9000 intelligent computer that seems to be capable of having emotions

The computer HAL is quite a sinister character, the red dot in each room which represents the computers eye which could even read the lips of the crew members who were having a conversation out of hearing range for the computer. It has an ominous feel and by some people has been used to represent God as HAL controls everything on board the ship. There are numerous shots of just the red dot which is quite unnerving as it is an inanimate object that controls so much.

The monolith is the central figure in the film as it continues to re-appear, after being buried on Jupiter and being found by the first space crew. Writer Arthur C. Clarke referred to it as as ''the alien Swiss army knife'' as a tool used by advanced intelligent life in the books but is certainly given a different and more ambiguous meaning in the film. It's possible that it is a star gate which transports people like Bowman at the end of the film to another universe or another time.

The black monolith at the dawn of man

It's difficult to review this as a normal film, as a spectacle to watch its fascinating and memorable. The plot is a secondary thought throughout the film and takes a back seat to everything else that is happening, in this sense it is a film without comparison except for maybe Begotten by E. Elias Merhige which was released in 1990. To criticize the lack of plot would be missing the point about the deeper meaning of the film that can be derived from what is seen. There are still so many questions asked and left open by the film that it doesn't need more plot development, something which is still hugely effective over 40 years later. That is the sign of a truly great movie and is probably one of the only films that would really benefit being in 3D.

4/4 visual masterpiece with amazing score but certainly won't appeal to everyone.

Film Preview: Casa de Mi Padre

It's Will Ferrell but as you've never seen him before, Casa de Mi Padre is a Spanish-language comedy film which pays homage to the over-dramatic Mexican soap operas that are frequently aired in the US. Ferrell even learnt Spanish to be able to play the role of Armando Alvarez and said it was the hardest role to prefer for with having to speak another language for the whole film.

Armando Alvarez (Will Ferrell) worked on his fathers ranch all his life and is due to take over the whole estate from his father before they run into financial difficulties. His brother Raul (Diego Luna) appears with his fiancée Sonia (Génesis Rodriguez) to pay off all the debts of the ranch but it turns out the money he made is less than legitimate. Everything goes wrong when a Mexican drug lord comes looking for his money and when Armando falls in love with Sonia.

The film is released on Friday 8th June 2012 in the UK and the trailer is embedded below:

Film Review: Blue Velvet

Director: David Lynch

Unfortunately when it comes to reviewing another of David Lynch's films, I feel it's only fair to admit that I am hugely biased when it comes to his films. He is without doubt my favourite director and will always look at his films expecting something amazing which coincidentally is true about Blue Velvet. A story about the seedy underside of what seemed to be the perfect and idyllic town of Lumberton in America. This film followed on from the commercial flop that was Dune, it lead Lynch to go back to his roots and make a film he was more comfortable so we move back into the slightly more surreal.

Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper) inhaling gas and abusing Dorothy (Isabella Rossellini)

Jeffrey Beaumont (Kyle MacLachlan) returns to his hometown after his Dad suffers a stroke but on the way home from the hospital finds a severed ear in a field which he reports to the police. Believing that Dorothy (Isabella Rossellini, a surprise choice but is superb) is connected to the case he sneaks into her apartment but is caught hiding in the closet. Before anything else can happen, Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper with one of the great acting performances I've seen) arrives and inflicts his bizarre sexual interests on her which include inhaling gas and sado-masochism. Jeffrey continues to get into more trouble as he tries to uncover the mystery behind the missing ear and the link between Frank and Dorothy.

Jeffrey Beaumont (Kyle MacLachlan) finds a severed ear in a field

As with all of Lynch's films, Blue Velvet is filled with imagery starting with the deep red tulips show against the white background of the picket fence and a perfect blue sky symoblising that this perfect little town is about to be disrupted. This is also shown when the perfect lawn is shown to be crawling with insects underneath when the camera zooms in showing the dirty underside to the dream town. The camera zooming in and entering the ear is showing the start of the nightmare for Jeffrey and the camera doesn't zoom out again until the mystery is solved.

Dennis Hopper was insistent that he played the character of Frank Booth despite being Lynch's third choice and I think he showed he was the perfect choice. His combination of aggression, sadness and pure intensity is quite simply superb and is one of the best acting performances that I have seen. Hopper's performance is reflective of the film itself in being shocking and unrelenting. The scene where Frank psychologically intimidates Jeffrey to the words to ''In Dreams'' by Roy Orbison is deeply unsettling and one of my favourite cinematic scenes, I will certainly never view that song in the same light ever again.

Ben (Dean Stockwell) lip syncs Roy Orbison's ''In Dreams'' 

Over time the film has increased in appeal and has been viewed more favourably by critics especially when revisited after his later works like Twin Peaks and Mulholland Drive. The scenes of sexual violence caused outrage at the time and are still shocking to this day which really speaks volume about the acting and direction. The only criticism is the lack of background surroending Frank Booth, why is he such a psychopath and was sexual violence the only reason for his actions against Dorothy? Seems we will never know.

4/4 superbly dark and unnerving, another Lynch masterpiece.

This week's releases

The Cold Light of Day: Will Shaw (Henry Cavill) heads to Spain on a boating holiday but gets entangled in a plot that sees his family kidnapped and he has to go on the run from special agents who are after a suitcase that he has acquired into his possession. Bruce Willis adds a big name to this action thriller that already looks like it is going over the usual action clichés.

Headhunters: From the best selling novel by Norwegian Jo Nesbo comes Headhunters, a crime thriller with many clever plot twists. A film I have been massively looking forward to ever since I finished reading the book.

The full preview for Headhunters can be found here: Headhunters preview

Mirror Mirror: A fairytale comedy which sees Julia Roberts play an evil queen which is supposedly the untold adventures of Snow White. Lily Collins the princess gets the help of the seven dwarves to regain her crown and topple the evil tyrant who has stolen it.

Titanic 3D: A more cynical person would say that the distributors are cashing in on the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic by re-releasing this in 3D. It's a film that everybody is familiar with which sees Jack and Rose enjoy the unlikeliest romance on board the Titanic before it famously hits the iceberg and sinks. Is there any reason to pay to see this in 3D rather than just re-watch the DVD? Answers on a postcard.

Film Review: Festen

Director: Thomas Vinterberg

Festen is a Danish film released in 1998 which translates to mean The Celebration but the original Danish name was kept for the UK release as was the original dialogue meaning that there are subtitles added. It is known in Europe for being the first Dogme 95 film which is a manifesto on limiting production to reduce costs as a protest against the rising costs of Hollywood film production. The entire film benefits from being filmed on a handycam without it being too shaky or jumpy like with many found footage films that have been released recently.

The party

A family gets together to celebrate the 60th birthday of Helge (Henning Moritzen) at a hotel that is run by the family. This is all after the suicide of Linda at the hotel who is Helge's daughter and the twin sister of Christian (Ulrich Thomsen). We are also introduced to the despicable Michael (Thomas Bo Larsen) who repeatedly berates his wife and attacks a waitress who he had an affair with after she makes disparaging comments about Helge. The whole celebration is cut short when Christian makes a shocking revelation to the family that brings up mixed emotions and much arguing about whether it is true.

This is where I could possibly spoil the film so if you intend to watch it don't read on, the film tackles issues like racism and sexual abuse with unwavering honesty. The shocking treatment of Helene's boyfriend Gbatokai who is an African-American who only speaks English so doesn't even know he's been racially abused as the family sing a racist song to him in Danish which is being led by Michael. This is just a secondary plot within the family party as well as more revelations about the childhood of Christian and Linda, who committed suicide, are uncovered. The behaviour of some members of the family who deny everything without even knowing what happened is equally shocking.

Christian (Ulrich Thomsen) is thrown out of the party

At times it's a tough film to watch but builds towards a fascinating end which feels just as hollow as the rest of the film, no matter what the outcome was nobody was coming away from this happy. It could have possibly looked into this more deeply but the final scene where Christian is dreaming that he is hugging his dead twin sister Linda is a particularly moving scene.

The filming style means that the films is more about the acting performances and not about special effects or shock value, again the film benefits from this. The denial of the family and the fact they just carry on with the party as if nothing has happened is quite surreal and the early stages of the film are quite strange to follow. The kitchen's staff behaviour is just plain odd at times but this aside you are left wondering who is worthy of your hatred most out of Helge and Michael?

2.5/4 a deeply troubling film handled in a slightly strange fashion