Film Review: The Last King of Scotland

Director: Kevin MacDonald

A British film adapted from the book of the same name by Giles Foden, although the story surrounding Garrigan is mostly fictional it is set against the backdrop of the true story of Amin's rule in Uganda following the coup in 1970. Forest Whittaker was rightly praised for his superb yet terrifying betrayal of Idi Amin for which he won an Oscar in 2006.

Dr. Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy) has just qualified as a doctor but disappoints his father who hoped he would work with him in Scotland, he decides to pick at random which country to go to and after dismissing Canada he ends up choosing Uganda. He helps out at a local missionary clinic before a freak car accident involving new President Idi Amin (Forest Whittaker) and a cow means that Garrigan has to treat the new leader. They instantly form a bond over Garrigan being Scottish and Amin convinces him to work for him as his physician but over time Amin's unstable nature and persecution of his people begins to haunt the young doctor.

Idi Amin (Forest Whittaker) and Dr Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy)

The whole film is taken over by a truly dominating yet deeply unsettling performance by Forest Whittaker as Idi Amin, throughout the movie I felt like I was watching Amin himself and not once did I consider that it was Whittaker himself. The former presidents jokey nature radically changing to anger and fear shows the highly irrational nature of Amin that was well documented during his reign. There's no doubt that Whittaker deserved his Oscar for this stunning portrayal.

McAvoy's character is a hard one to garner sympathy for as the film develops, he's seen to be this naive Doctor who doesn't realise what is happening in Uganda whilst working for Amin. This much is true but his cocky and brash nature with some of the other UK nationals as well as his record with women means he is not entirely innocent throughout this. The idea behind Garrigan working for Amin is an intriguing one though for an in-depth look at the crazed leader. The plot builds up nicely throughout and then tension through the final half an hour reaches fever pitch.

3.5/4 Superb lead performance from Whittaker backed up with a tense plot.

Film Review: V for Vendetta

Director: James McTeigue

An action thriller that takes its name from the comic book that it is based on, The Wachowski Brothers co-wrote the screenplay set in a dystopian society in the 2030s. The film is cited for taking plot elements from books like The Count of Monte Cristo and the musical The Phantom of the Opera whilst also having ties to the gunpowder plot by Guy Fawkes which features heavily in the film (and is the inspiration for the mask).

V (Hugo Weaving)

The United Kingdom is under a fascist regime which is controlled by the Norsefire party that rules with an iron fist enforced by curfews and general scare tactics. The leader of the party is High Chancellor Adam Sutler (John Hurt). Evey Hammond (Natalie Portman) inadvertently gets involved with a plot to overthrow the Norsefire party from power when she is saved from two secret police men by a mysterious man who kills them and then introduces himself as V (Hugo Weaving). From there on she cannot separate herself from V's plans to cause anarchy throughout the UK in a hope of bring upon a regime change.

The character of V and the mask he wears has become a symbol around the world for rebellion, mostly against capitalist ventures like in the Occupy movements against Wall Street. The image has come to signify the power of the masses much like in the movie, this will forever be the enduring legacy of this film which is quite important as the movie itself is a bit of a mess. The script is poorly constructed with V being incredibly eloquent and engaging but with little thought going into anybody elses lines. The police officers chasing V are perceived to be crude by their language and methods, certainly not the types you'd put in charge of an attack against the government itself. Natalie Portman is barely passable as the female lead whose performance seems to be fondly remembered for the fact she shaved her head rather than for anything worthy of note.

V with Evey (Natalie Portman)

The brilliance of the central character of V (one of the only reasons this film isn't a complete flop) and the premise is pretty much wasted by the Wachowski Brothers, the film fails with a number of needless parts of the plot that could have been better served developing the back story that was rather rushed and hazy. The political elements of the film are completely underplayed and rather simple in nature when something much more intelligent and considered could have been produced. Audiences don't need to be treated like idiots and the popularity of Inception should surely prove that.

2/4 Very much a great opportunity squandered

This week's releases

The Look of Love: A British comedy drama starring Steve Coogan as Paul Raymond, the man who from a modest background rose to become the 'King of Soho' in the 60's and 70's as more liberal attitudes were being adopted. Other UK names star such as Stephen Fry, Anna Friel and Matt Lucas.

Rebellion: Mathieu Kassovitz, the acclaimed director of La Haine, stars and directs in this story about the little know uprising in the French colony of New Caledonia in 1988. Local separatists kidnap 30 police officers which pitches them into the middle of a battle with French Special forces. In case you weren't sure, New Caledonia is a group is islands off the East Coast of Australia.

Film Review: The Place Beyond the Pines

Director: Derek Cianfrance

A 2013 American crime drama from the man who brought us Blue Valentine also starring Ryan Gosling, Cianfrance, who also co-wrote the screenplay, shows us very real lives of people in small-town America set around New York state and the surrounding area. The Place Beyond the Pines is set in Schenectady in upstate New York which a quiet town of unremarkable people and is loosely translated in Mohawk to mean "the place beyond the pine plains".

Luke (Ryan Gosling) is a drifter who works as a motorcycle stunt rider who whilst doing a show in Schenectady ends up meeting up with Romina (Eva Mendes) who he had a fling with last time he was in town a year ago. After he tries to rekindle the romance he learns that Romina had his baby, called Jason, and wasn't going to tell him whilst she lives her own life with her boyfriend Kofi (Mahershala Ali) and her mother. Luke quits his job to help raise the baby but his minimum wage job with Robin (Ben Mendelsohn) isn't enough so they decide to start robbing banks, a botched robbery brings him together with Avery Cross (Bradley Cooper) who is a newly trained policeman whose actions changes everyone's lives forever.

Luke Glanton (Ryan Gosling) with Romina (Eva Mendes) and their son Jason

I tried not to give too much away in my synopsis and will endeavor to do the same throughout the rest of my review as there is so much more to what happens in this film than you can learn from watching the trailer or even reading what is above. It's a film that pulls quite a few surprises as the film progresses but these bold plot changes are decisive and never looked back upon, it leaves you considering what the film will do next but it doesn't leave you too long to ponder this.

The acting in this movie is superb from the two lead men Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper, Gosling as the tattooed drifter with a violent temper from a poor background and Cooper as the honourable father and cop from a middle class background. The film deals a lot with the issue of background and upbringing in shaping people's lives, how much does your background shape your opportunities in the future? Are sons destined to become like their fathers regardless of circumstance?

Avery Cross (Bradley Cooper)

The film falls into three acts of differing length that focus on different parts of the story, a different plot device to the usual and it improves the intrigue of the movie all the more for it. The final act loses its way and is slightly unsure how exactly the movie should end and because of this it falls just short of a full four out of four.  It deals with possibly too many issues with regards to broken families, corruption, crime and politics but each topic is dealt with great care and consideration.

The Place Beyond the Pines is ambitious in what it wants to convey but this ambition should be rewarded as the final product is compelling and thoughtful, I certainly took a lot away from the film and was left pondering many things as I walked out of the cinema. With this being the era of dumbed down blockbusters it's great to enjoy a truly intelligent and thought provoking drama.

3.5/4 Enthralling and surprising plot adds to some standout acting performances

Film Preview: Only God Forgives

A bit behind the curve I know but for those who haven't seen the latest trailer for Nicholas Winding Refn's (Director of Drive) latest film Only God Forgives then it is embedded below for you to view.

The success of Drive and its subsequent snub at the Oscar's last year just re-inforced how much people loved the move so when it was announced over a year ago that Nicholas Winding Refn and Ryan Gosling were re-uniting for this project there was huge anticipation. Much of the plot was kept secret and even trailers have been hard to come by as an air of secrecy was kept over the film, after a teaser trailer was shown we now get a more comprehensive look at film which features Kristen Scott-Thomas as you've never seen her before:

Movie Poster

The film is set in Bangkok with Ryan Gosling playing Julian who runs a kick boxing gym but is also a drug pusher who is sent to avenge the death of his brother by his mother played by Kristin Scott-Thomas. The trailer shows the film as being an incredibly violent, martial arts inspired movie but like Refn's previous work it has a real element of style about it, evocative imagery is always a key element to his films. My excitement for this film is huge.

The movie still doesn't have an official UK release date

Film Review: Fargo

Director: Joel & Ethan Coen

A black comedy caper which was also written by Coen's features many of the actors synonymous with their work as Steve Buscemi and Frances McDormand appear. In many ways this was the film the brothers were hoping Burn After Reading would become as a group of inexperienced criminals fail to complete a kidnapping or theft. Where Burn After Reading is uneven in plot and lacking in the subtle comedic genius that is apparent in Fargo.

The beginning of the film has the text saying "THIS IS A TRUE STORY. The events depicted in this film took place in Minnesota in 1987. At the request of the survivors, the names have been changed. Out of respect for the dead, the rest has been told exactly as it occurred." But on the special edition DVD it is revealed the inspiration came from the Helle Crafts murder in Connecticut where a man killed his wife and disposed of her in the wood chipper.

Gaear Grimsrund (Peter Stormare) and Carl Showalter (Steve Buscemi) 

The film is set in snowy state of Minnesota with a brief foray into North Dakota, the white crispness of the ever present snow is almost like a contrast to the dark actions of Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy) who has his wife kidnapped by Gaear Grimsrund (Peter Stormare) and Carl Showalter (Steve Buscemi) to extort money from his father in law (Harve Presnell). The Coen's grew up in the area which is why they were keen to film it here. The area is also very much small town America where most of the film takes place, the simple nature of the locals is also at odds with the devious actions of the films main characters.

The plot device of having bumbling criminals taken on a high risk/high reward crime is certainly not a new one but rarely is it performed to greater effect than here, William H. Macy is excellent as the good-natured man that you can trust but secretly is a con artist. Whilst Frances McDormand is never better as the only good force who pieces together the clues to find out what is happening, in many ways she comes across as very sheltered and naive put in her police work we see different.

3.5/4 A darkly funny and tightly written caper

This week's releases

Promised Land: A salesman (Matt Damon) for a natural gas company experiences life changing events after arriving in a small town, where his corporation wants to tap into the available resources.

Full preview here

The Gatekeepers: Six former heads of the Israeli intelligence and security agency discuss their roles in a decade long fight against terrorism in their country along Gaza and the West Bank as well as elsewhere. It gives a look behind the battle between the Israel's and the Palestinians in one of the longest geographical feuds in history.

Love is all you need: Pierce Brosnan stars in this romantic comedy set around a wedding from Oscar winning director Susan Bier. The wedding brings together two families that sees the mother of the bride reeling from her husbands infidelity whilst recovering from a long term illness which adds to the panic before the big day.

Film Preview: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

After the huge success of the first Hunger Games film in the trilogy, there is much anticipation over how the following two books in the series will be converted onto the big screen. It has already been announced that the final book, Mockingjay, will be split into two films which will be released in 2014 and 2015. The plots contained within the books are much more ambitious in terms of settings and special effects, as I was reading through the books having already seen the first film I wondered how the producers and director would be able to bring this to life in a manner that does justice to the books. The clock based arena which is used in the second book being an example of the difficult nature of bringing these books to life.

Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson)

In the second part of the Hunger Games series, Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) have to live through the stunt they pulled to ensure they were both crowned winners of the Hunger games tournament. They must leave home and embark on a victory tour whilst the threat of rebellion and war against the Capitol simmers underneath.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is released in the UK on 22nd November 2013 and the teaser trailer is embedded below:

Film Review: Ace Ventura: Pet Detective

Director: Tom Shadyac

A 1994 comedy film starring Jim Carrey at the titles Ace Ventura who is a quirky pet detective. Many films that are nominated for awards at the beginning of each year are described as critics films much like The Master and Beasts of the Southern Wild. These films tend to struggle at the box office whereas a film like Ace Ventura: Pet Detective is the opposite as critics tend to pan it but the general public love it and it makes a huge amount of money.

Ace Ventura (Jim Carrey)

Ace Ventura (Jim Carrey) is a pet detective who is laughed at but pretty much the entire Miami-Dade Police Department, although mostly for his eccentric nature. At Joe Robbie Stadium, Snowflake the Miami Dolphins team mascot has been kidnapped two weeks before they are due to play in the Super Bowl. Roger Podactor (Troy Evans) and Melissa Robinson (Courtney Cox) are tasked with recovering the Dolphin and bring in Ace to help them locate their prized possession.

Jim Carrey plays a role which he is entirely comfortable with and in some ways was similar to his character in  The Mask which saw him play a loud, outlandish eccentric. Its a role he became known for playing and even typecast. Here he is very funny at times but quite often the jokes are taken too far which detracts from the great laughs that are there. A couple of Ace's catchphrases became hugely influential in popular culture and the success spawned a sequel that was surprisingly poor.

Dan Marino as himself

The story itself is reasonably well written and is much better than the usual plots you get with comedies of this type. It has a few surprises up its sleeve that aren't immediately apparent as the film progresses. Miami Dolphins legends Dan Marino and Don Shula appear in the film although Shula has little more than a cameo. A film known for springing Jim Carrey towards fame look dated but still produces the laughs.

2.5/4 Eccentric and sometimes downright bizarre comedy

Film Preview: Behind the Candelabra

The film that has now been credited with being "too gay for Hollywood" has been picked up by HBO and will air direct onto TV. Behind the Candelabra is a film biography of the life of Liberace, it has been adapted from the autobiography of the same name written by Scott Thorson. Steven Soderbergh is directing in what will be his final movie before retirement after an impressive movie career in the directors chair. The film previewed at the Sundance Film Festival but was not picked up by any distributors so ended up in the hands of HBO who out of the TV networks has never been prone to controversy.

Michael Douglas as Liberace and  Matt Damon as Thorson

Liberace is played by Michael Douglas whilst the writer of the autobiography Scott Thorson, who was just 17 at the time, is played by Matt Damon looking to roll back the years. Rob Lowe also makes an appearance in the movie which is rife with sexual scenes, drug taking and glittery glamour much like the life of Liberace himself.

Behind the Candelabra is premiering on HBO on Sunday 26th May and the trailer is embedded below:

Film Review: The Deer Hunter

Director: Michael Cimino

The 1978 American war epic has always been a hugely polarizing movie, it ranks as one of the greatest movies of all time amongst many film fans whilst others criticize it for its inaccurate and racist portrayal of the Vietnamese as well as using Russian Roulette as the centrepiece. Kermode described it as one of the worst movies of all-time for being "farcically melodramatic and ramblingly self-indulgent". The films run time of three hours certainly gives the film plenty of time to breathe with only the opening wedding scene in the first act coming across as bloated on review.

Mike (Robert De Niro) playing the infamous Russian Roulette

Many felt Cimino struck lucky on this film due to the incredibly poor performance of his movies since especially the sprawling Western epic Heavens Gate which like The Deer Hunter came in massively over budget but bombed at the box office. His reputation never really recovered and he was left with just one great picture on his resume. In the production of The Deer Hunter there is the signs of a director who didn't have control over budgets and shooting, many things seemed to be done at the last minute on a whim and it was the actors who put in great performances to make the movie work.

Steven (John Savage) is due to get married, he is berated by his mother over not wearing a scarf to the wedding at the Orthodox church in the town of Clairton, Pennsylvania. His friends Mike (Robert De Niro) and Nick (Christopher Walken) have also both enlisted into the army as well to fight the war in Vietnam. Mike also has a secret crush on Nick's girlfriend Linda (Meryl Streep) which is an underlying story as the film progresses. After the wedding and subsequent party finishes we see Mike perform the ''one shot'' that is discussed at the beginning of the film killing a deer, in a snap the film moves to Vietnam where they are fighting the Vietcong and being subjected to the horrors of war.

Mike with Nick (Christoper Walken) and Steven (John Savage)

The ugly side of war is often displayed in movies, a glut of movies followed this about the effects of war on the human mind and body. Even before this there was such films as All Quiet on the Western Front (the original anti-war film made before the Second World War) and Paths of Glory by Stanley Kubrick. The Deer Hunter was the anti-war movie for a new era as America finally started to move on from the failure of the Vietnam war. The psychological effects are brutal and the many critics who questioned the Russian Roulette scenes at the beginning of the movie have missed the metaphor for war that this game presents. Signing up to the army during a war and surviving that war alive is more down to luck than anything and even if you do survive then you are still scarred for life.

As stated above, the acting performances within the movie are what make this film so shocking and intense. Robert De Niro is at his very best as the leader of their small group, he looks after Nick and Steven as well as their friends who stayed in Clairton during the war. Christopher Walken is excellent as the emotionally vulnerable Nick whilst Meryl Streep is also impressive as Linda in the role that thrust her into prominence. The joking and camaraderie between the main characters is genuine and heart felt which makes the following events more difficult to take, the Russian Roulette scene in the rudimentary prison in Vietnam is one of the most tense and un-nerving I've ever watched. Whilst the ending is equally compelling and heart wrenchingly somber.

3.5/4 Disturbing war epic that made the mould for all the Vietnam films that followed

This week's releases

The Place Beyond the Pines: Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper star in this crime drama of a daredevil motorcyclist who takes up bank robbery to pay the bills and the man hoping to catch him.

Full Preview here

Scary Movie 5: It's hard to believe that this is only the 5th installment in this franchise, Charlie Sheen and Lindsay Lohan both make appearances proving that drugs really do nothing for your career. Expect the usual crude jokes and poking fun at horror movies.

Oblivion: Tom Cruise's latest action flick takes a step towards the world of sci-fi, a war over mineral extraction as left Earth as a very desolate place. Cruise plays a very humble engineer who becomes involved in a battle against Armageddon.

Film Review: Maria Full of Grace

Director: Joshua Marston

A 2004 film made jointly between America and Colombia that mainly uses Spanish as that is the language of the main characters. It was critically acclaimed on release with the main actress Catalina Sandino Moreno winning the Best Actress Award at the Berlin Film Festival and she was also nominated for an Academy Award for her performance as Maria.

Maria Alvarez is a seventeen year old girl living in rural Colombia with her single mother and a sister who is unemployed whilst looking after her baby, with no help from the father Maria is relied upon to provide an income for the family working at a flower plantation. After a disagreement with her manager she quits her job much to the chagrin of her family but finds work through a man she briefly met at a party as a drugs mule. The mule downplays the risks to her and explains she could make a lot of money but as she agrees to help she realises just what it entails.

Maria with the 62 pellets of heroin to swallow

The bleakness of rural life in Colombia is accurately depicted and excellently portrayed by the cast as the reality of few jobs in legal professions is apparent. The surrounding countryside looks beautiful but is clearly the backdrop for a large criminal empire in the manufacture of cocaine and heroin. The scenes of Maria swallowing the pellets of wrapped up heroin is incredibly intense and un-nerving as you realise the risk she is taking. Between arrest going through customs and the possibility of a pellet splitting which would kill her it makes for incredibly tense viewing. Catalina Sandino Moreno is genuine and likeable in the lead.

In many respects it is similar to the film Sugar (review here), as a Spanish speaking youngster who is out of their depth ends up in the enormous confusing world of New York City. The parallels continue as both films carve out an engaging and thrilling premise but are unsure exactly where to go when they get there and surprisingly end in a very similar manner as well. Apart from a disappointing 20mins in the second half it is achingly close to being a truly exceptional film.

3/4 Fascinating and harrowing opening hour is left rudderless by unsure finale

Film Review: Gone with the Wind

Director: Victor Fleming

Gone with the Wind became the longest film I have ever seen after I finished viewing it, its run time is officially listed as 220 mins without the overture and intermission. Despite it's incredibly long run time, this is an enthralling movie from start to finish that sets off at a fast pace and never relents. It's easy underestimate the incredible scale of production and cost for the time that the film was made, to make a film in 1939 that cost nearly $4 million is astounding. It was the first ever film to win the big four at the Academy Awards and Hattie McDaniel became the first African-American to win an Academy Award for her role as Mammy the house servant.

*spoilers ahead*

Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) and Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh)

A historical epic set in the deep-south against the backdrop of the American Civil War, the film centers around Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh) who is seen as a spoilt 16 year old as her family prepare for a big BBQ on the cotton plantation they run called Tara. The lives of the family and locals are rocked by the news of the outbreak of war with the Yankees from the North which they are initially excited about but soon realise is bad news as they lose key battles over time. Scarlett also comes across Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) a rich man who is unpopular due to his belief that the South has no chance in the war, the love between them is unclear throughout most of the movie.

It's hard to sum up such a grand film as this into one paragraph, so much in terms of plot and character development is put into one movie. The development of Scarlett O'Hara is probably one of the greatest character arc's in film history, from young naive girl to a driven hard working lady who looks after the house following the war that has destroyed much of their fortune. There are many times when you are not sure whether she has changed for good or whether it is just temporary due to their current plight. Her back and forths with Rhett Butler are witty and well-written. This is far from a simple love story set against the depressing time of war, it is something so much more than that and this is why this film will always be remembered as a classic.

The acting especially from Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh is excellent, I think the dislike the two had for one another in real life helped fuel the chemistry between them through the film. Hattie McDaniel is hugely impressive as the house servant, there was criticism from the African-American population at the time for the depiction of slavery and sympathy for the plight of white people at the time at their expense but this was true to the time in the South. There was also criticism for the ''marital rape'' which Rhett apologizes for the next day, his actions are largely glossed over but again this is in keeping with the time that the film is set. It's impressive that a film of this time would deal with such delicate topics.

The only criticism I have is that the final part of the film dealing a lot more with Scarlett's squabbles with family and friends as well as the difficulties in her marriage to Rhett are slightly overplayed. If there is anywhere that this film could have been cut down in length it would have been here but the film sweeps you back off your feet with a dramatic ending and the line that is now so famous from the film.

"Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn"

3.5/4 Excellent historical epic

Film Preview: The Reluctant Fundamentalist

The aftermath of 9/11 was incredibly far reaching and in many ways is still being felt today, but for a Pakistani man living in New York chasing the American dream it can certainly change many things in your life. I've been assured this isn't a film just about 9/11 but more about people's attitudes towards each other with the film displaying both sides of a particularly difficult story.

Based on the 2007 novel of the same name by Mohsin Hamed, Changez (Riz Ahmed) is chasing the corporate dream working on Wall Street and being a top performer within his company. In the wake of 9/11, Changez becomes bitterly embroiled in a political war, a hostage crisis and whether he should give up his dream and go back to Pakistan.

The Reluctant Fundamentalist is released in the UK on 10th May 2013 and the trailer is embedded below:

This week's releases

Spring Breakers: A comedy looking at the sleaze, sex and violence that is Spring Break in America. Four college girls decide they will do anything to have the money for spring break so they take up armed robbery in this crime caper that naturally goes awry.

The Odd Life of Timothy Green: Fantasy drama ‘The Odd Life of Timothy Green’ tells the tale of a childless couple whose wishes literally come true in the shape of Timothy; a boy with a destiny to make their dreams of the perfect child come true. Starring Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton.

Film Review: My Own Private Idaho

Director: Gus Van Sant

A 1991 independent film that was written and directed by Gus Van Sant, he went to great lengths to persuade young up and coming actors River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves to join the project. Van Sant bypassed their agents to deliver the scripts direct to them in a hope of convincing them which seemed to work. He also had problems with financing for a risky project about a potentially controversial subject but after the success Drugstore Cowboy studios attitudes softened.

Mike (River Phoenix) and Scott (Keanu Reeves) are best friends who end up forming a relationship as they search for Mike's mother in a trip that takes them all the way across Idaho and further. The film also deals with Mike's past as a street hustler working with Bob Pigeon (William Richert) who looks after groups of street hustlers in an abandoned apartment building. Mike's sudden narcolepsy means he loses huge chunks of days and leaves him with some incredibly vivid dreams.

Mike (River Phoenix) and Scott (Keanu Reeves)

The film is like a modern version of Shakespeare's Henry IV and Henry V in its themes and references, unfortunately many of these feel rather forced than subtly conveyed. River Phoenix completely throws himself into the role of the troubled Mike with great results whilst Keanu Reeves seems to just passively drift through the film with no feeling or contribution.

The pacing is incredibly uneven with the film falling into huge lulls, which at times create nice individual set pieces, but overall dont really lead anywhere before working towards an incredibly rushed final 20mins. At times the film is visually stunning but that alone cannot make up for the shortcomings of this promising film.

1.5/4 Slow and bumbling before reaching an incredibly rushed climax

Film Review: The Wrestler

Director: Darren Aronofsky

A sports related drama released in 2008, it is known for the marquee performance of Mickey Rourke in the lead role. Many people feel he should won the Academy Award for Best Actor over Sean Penn who won it for his performance in Milk but he did win at the BAFTA's and Golden Globes. Darren Aronofsky went on to direct The Fighter and Black Swan that also performed well with critics, although I felt The Fighter was quite average.

Randy ''The Ram'' Robinson (Mickey Rourke)

Randy ''The Ram'' Robinson (Mickey Rourke) is a professional wrestler in the twilight of his career after being hugely popular in the 80's. He know wrestles on a weekend for a smaller local company and works at a supermarket part-time under his real name Robin. It shows the physical demands of wrestling as he is involved in a hardcore match which sees him sustain lots of injuries before suffering a heart attack. Robin is now forced to decide what is important in his life as he tries to reconcile with his daughter Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood) with the help of stripper friend Cassidy (Marisa Tomei).

Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood) and Robin (Mickey Rourke) 

Mickey Rourke is truly sensational as the troubled veteran wrestler, from the outset you feel like you are watching a real wrestler coming to the end of his career rather than an actor. He received a lot of praise from former professional wrestlers who felt his portrayal of Randy ''The Ram'' was incredibly accurate of the struggles they go through. The issue of a stardom is subtly addressed, how easy is it to give up something you love and where people idolize you for what you do? Many sports stars have compared it to a drug in that you always want one more time.

The film is beautifully shot, it displays middle-America as a bleak and dull concrete wilderness whilst the scenes where Randy is wrestling are a vivid display of light and colour. It almost mirrors Robin's life contrasting the glitzy glamour of professional wrestling to the miserable existence he leads in the rest of his life. What you are left with is an incredibly deep portrayal of someone clearly in pain mentally and physically wondering what he is going to do with the rest of his life, something that many people feel regardless of what has gone before.

3.5/4 Strong lead performance behind this touching drama

Film Review: Bowling for Columbine

Director: Michael Moore

A 2002 American documentary by Michael Moore, the film is renowned for making Moore a household name in America with his criticisms of American gun culture and violence. He sets the tone here with his comparisons to other Western nations and the better quality of life people supposedly have outside of America which he explores further in Sicko many years later. It won a special anniversary prize at the Cannes Festival where it was first released.

Moore explores American gun culture in the wake of the Columbine High School shootings that rocked America. He tries to understand why there are so many gun deaths in America compared to the rest of the Western world, especially Canada that has similar gun laws but a small fraction of the deaths related to guns. He interviews a cross section of different people from America and Canada on their opinions on guns including South Park creator Matt Stone, NRA President Charlton Heston and Marilyn Manson who was blamed by many for the violence in teenagers.

Columbine massacre survivors

In his usual style, Moore speaks to Americans and places their culture and lifestyle in front of a mirror. Just because this is the way its always been does this mean the future should be like that as well? In terms of gun control he certainly thinks it should not. He asks gun enthusiasts why they feel the need to have guns and that surely everyone owning a gun is adding to the deaths in America, especially the number of accidental death in children from guns lying round the house. Moore makes great arguments and is pushing an issue that everyone outside of America is fully behind but presses his arguments far too hard and in a non too subtle way. I think documentary enthusiasts are used to more refinement and are intelligent enough to see the problems presented without having them repeatedly forced down their throat.

The interview with Marilyn Manson was superb to watch, he comes across as an incredibly intelligent and articulate person with his quote about what he would have done if he got the chance to speak to the kids of Columbine was absolutely spot on. His quote was "I wouldn't say a single word to them I would listen to what they have to say, and that's what no one did". In many ways this sums up politics across the board.

2/4 Superbly on-topic but becomes very preachy and doesn't need to push the message as hard as he does

Film Review: A Film Unfinished

Director: Yael Hersonski

A documentary film made in 2010 which looks at the unfinished propaganda film called Das Ghetto made by the Nazis inside the Jewish Ghetto in Warsaw. The piece was intended to show the Jewish people in a bad light by showing them as dirty and unclean whilst enjoying a lavish lifestyle of rich food by forcing people to act in different scenes. The Nazis used scare tactics and violence to force these carefully constructed scenes but in the end the film was never actually used.

The propaganda film was shot over 30 days in 1942 just before the transportation of Jews to Treblinka began, the uncut film showed multiple scenes being re-shot with well dressed Jews to ensure the Nazis got the right shot. The well dressed Jews were ordered to ignore begging children in the street and the dead bodies lying in the gutter to make them seem heartless towards one another which couldn't have been further from the truth. It demonstrates the suffering and humiliation that the Jews suffered in the ghetto from a slightly different angle from many other documentaries and films on the subject.

Footage from inside the Warsaw Ghetto

Also shown are interviews with Jewish survivors who speak about the filming in the ghetto and their experiences, these conversations along with black and white videos add to the haunting effect of the entire piece. But the most intriguing interview without a doubt is with Willy Wist who worked as cameraman on Das Ghetto who is asked to recall scenes that he shot. His interview is incredibly uncomfortable as he is evasive about what he actually knew at the time and whether he was purposefully ignorant towards the Jews plight.

The main thought behind the entire film is whether we can trust our own eyes and memories in cases like this?  Do we need cameras and physical footage for a more accurate view on what happened? The film makers do a good job of letting the interviews and footage speak for themselves without trying to express their opinion too greatly. Unfortunately in some cases the footage, whilst upsetting, is hard to distinguish why certain pieces of footage were shown. Possibly for somebody without much knowledge of the Holocaust this would be very useful but for someone with a more in-depth idea of what happened it seems unnecessary.

3/4 Intriguing piece that isn't quite different enough from previous works.