Film Review: Before Midnight

Director: Richard Linklater

The third installment in the franchise that has now been running for 18 years as we seem to check-in on the lives of Jesse and Celine every nine years, with their lives in very different places each time. Richard Linklater is once again back to direct and write the screenplay along with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy who also get writing credits. The film was shot in Messenia in Greece with a lot of the production team being locals from the area.

Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) are now married with twin daughters after the finale of Before Sunset where Jesse agreed to miss his plane back to American to be with her. They are holidaying in Greece over the summer and Jesse has just sent his son from his previous marriage, Hank (Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick), back to America which upsets him greatly as he feels he's missing his son grow-up. This among other issues start to cause a few problems between the happy couple.

Jesse and Celine on the Greek Peloponnese peninsula

The format of Before Midnight is a dying breed in the world of cinema today, a film based around the conversations and interaction mainly of two people backed by an incredibly strong script and acting performances from the leads. The characters are entirely believable because they face the real world problems that couples and families are going through on a daily basis. It offers a fascinating insight into love and long term commitment after the 'honeymoon' period has worn off, the early films showed two people falling in love but the third shows what happens after that couple have been together for many years. They discussed how their entire lives revolve around the children and they no longer have the ability to be spontaneous or wander around 'bullshitting' about whatever they feel.

The arguments that ensue as the film develops make you feel like you're suddenly cast into the middle of a disagreement and you try to decipher whose right and wrong, an impossible task on the whole, as the couple move from the airey streets of Greece to a claustrophobic hotel room. Somehow two people just talking whether it be about their lives or just about things in general is thrilling and entertaining viewing, this mainly comes down to the script. Both Celine and Jesse take up familiar roles in modern relationships but its refreshing to see that some couples, like in real life, don't just live happily ever after.

3.5/4 Funny and yet sadly moving drama is the best of the three

This week's releases

The East: FBI Agent Sarah Moss (Britt Marling) tries to infiltrate an anarchic group but suddenly finds herself unsure of her beliefs.

Full Preview here

Despicable Me 2: In animated comedy adventure 'Despicable Me 2', Gru the super-villain, his girls and the unforgettable minions return. This time, the evil genius is intent on carrying out a plan even more nefarious than his last. But can the superbad superdad face up to a new nemesis who just might be more powerful than him?

This is the End: Ensemble comedy sees many top movie comedians actually play themselves like Seth Rogan, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill as well as appearances by the likes of Emma Watson, The Backstreet Boys and Rihanna. As the world is about to end as the party gets started the night takes a turn for the worst. It's never a good sign when you don't laugh once during the trailer.

Hummingbird: Jason Statham returns in his usual role in action thriller from the writers behind Eastern Promises. After going on the run from a military court martial, Joey Jones (Statham) decides to implement his own brand of justice for good after assuming a new identity.

Film Review: Behind the Candelabra

Director: Steven Soderbergh

The biography of the life of one of the most glitzy men in show business was to be the last film of Soderberghs impressive career presuming he doesn't decide to come out of retirement, Soderbergh said that Hollywood wasn't interested in him and his movies anywhere with it being more interested in mind numbing blockbusters which means that the movie going public is once again worse off. The film is based on the memoirs of Scott Thorson who spent many years with Liberace as an almost secret lover, the book was called Behind the Candelabra: My Life With Liberace and it was released in 1988.

Liberace with lover Scott Thorson

Scott Thorson (Matt Damon) leaves his small town looking for better paid work and is introduced to Liberace (Michael Douglas) back stage after own of his shows. The two get on great and Liberace becomes Scott's lover as well as a sort of father figure to him, Scott soon becomes accustomed to the high life of Liberace's mansion and money but not everything is easy at seems in his life.

Many said the film was 'too gay' for Hollywood after all the studios companies passed on releasing it in America so it ended up being aired on HBO, fortunately in the UK it was released fully into cinemas. It's a strange decision from Hollywood as the film does have some gay sex scenes but is hardly over the top and Liberace's lifestyle always was a bit camp, I guess this just proves Soderbergh's point about Hollywood not being interested in the sort of films he makes anymore.

A hilarious looking Rob Lowe as plastic surgeon Dr. Jack Startz

An almost black comedy at times as we laugh at the gaudiness of Liberace's life and lifestyle in the late 70's and early 80's. Douglas is excellent as the loving yet increasingly demanding Liberace who is so kind and yet calculatingly mean at the same time, Damon puts in a solid effort but I felt Thorson could have been cast better. The story is intriguing from the outset but does drag its heels in the latter parts as the joy of the opening scenes turns to anger and disappointment. It does better on the lighter side with the comedy and struggles to punch its weight in the more serious moments.

2.5/4 An intriguing look behind the glitz and glamour

Film Preview: Anchorman: The Legend Continues

There is no surprise that we are getting an Anchorman sequel given the career trajectories of the main cast in doing sub par comedies, the only surprise was that they actually waited this long to have another go a the quote friendly comedy. Adam McKay is the director and Judd Apatow the producer so its coming from a well known comedy base. Vince Vaughn confirmed that he would reprise his role as Wes Mantooth from a rival news station and we also see the addition of Kristen Wiig as Brick's love interest which can only produce funny moments.

The News Crew

After the good times of the 1970's, the gang has hit rock bottom but is then recruited by a new 24 hour news channel. This puts Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell) back in front of the camera as the lead anchor as the story moves from San Diego to New York City.

Anchorman: The Legend Continues is released in the UK on 20th December 2013 and the trailer is embedded below:

Film Review: Shattered Glass

Director: Billy Ray

This 2003 drama based on the real life journalism career that Stephen Glass had in the mid-nineties. His time at The New Republican magazine was seen to be a success with more impressive and funny articles being published but with the release of a story on a hacker being hired by a big software company his lies slowly unraveled. This film soberly documents his life whilst working at the magazine and is a superbly subtle drama that plays out in a very real setting.

The world of journalism is a very factual place, if you read something on a news website or in a newspaper you generally believe it to be true due to the vigorous fact checking that is seen to be at work. This film opens up a world where you start to question how factual can an article really be? At some point you are going to stray from check-able facts to the opinion or view of a writer who may have seen or documented a news story. The actions of Stephen Glass were shocking especially the extent of his lies but he is not an isolated case and possibly paved the way for less factual news programming in later years.

Stephen Glass (Hayden Christensen)

The acting within the film is first rate across the board, Hayden Christensen in the lead role is incredibly likeable yet incredibly ruthless when it came to covering his tracks and lying about what he had done. He was a great manipulator of people and this is cleverly shown in the film. Peter Sarsgaard is the pick of the bunch though as Charles Lane who takes over the role of editor after his predecessor, Michael Kelly (Hank Azaria), is fired and exposes the lies and half-truths that Glass told. He truly portrays a man who is torn about how to act on someone so popular and believable until it gets to the point where he can't do anything else. Sarsgaard finally delivers the final blow to Glass as his patience finally wanes, your satisfaction almost matches his when what you've been expecting all along finally happens. The drama within the film is never overplayed and could easily have been very glitzy like Hollywood likes to portray the media but it really shows it for what it is.

3.5/4 Superbly intriguing and subtly portrayed story

This week's releases

World War Z: Based on the simply awesome book of the same name by Max Brooks, this movie adaptation has had a troubled history with a supposedly excellent screenplay being ditched because it lacked enough action scenes and many scenes needing to be re-shot at an astronomical cost. Many have written the film off as a flop before it's even been released but this tale of United Nations employee Gerry Lane (Pitt) trying to halt the zombie apocalypse that is taking over the world is hard not to see.

Before Midnight: The final in the trilogy from director Richard Linklater that has spanned nearly two decades, we realise that Jesse and Celine are married after the decision by Jesse to stay in Paris rather than fly back to his wife in America. But will they live happily ever after taking a holiday on a Greek island with friends? My sense of foreboding tells me no.

Spike Island: An aspiring band to the biggest music event of the 1990s as The Stone Roses play their legendary era-defining concert. Determined to forget their boring lives and become the latest Madchester sensation, the five mates will stop at nothing to meet their heroes and hand over their demo tape. Now all they have to do is somehow get into the sold out gig. Are they chasing fool's gold…or will one love keep them together in 'Spike Island'?

Film Review: Before Sunset

Director: Richard Linklater

A 2004 romantic drama that is the sequel to Before Sunset that was filmed nine years before, the characters of Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) return nine years older and meet in Paris as Jesse is promoting his book which is based on the night they spent together. The film takes a similar path to its predecessor in that the film revolves around the couple discussing life and themselves as they wander around a European city. The screenplay was nominated at the Academy Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) reunite

We quickly learn about the outcome from the sequel about our their lives were immediately afterwards and whether they did in fact meet up again in Vienna 6 months later. The acting is deeply impressive again as both leads manage to pick up their characters with apparent ease after a 9 year gap since they last worked as these characters. Like many young adults they have more experience of real life and love but are still as quietly optimistic as ever about life which I love.

In many ways its the body language and unspoken words that leap out at you as they awkwardly reunite but even so the dialogue is still appealing and improved from the previous film. The conversations are more pointed and relevant to the characters themselves which creates a more compelling narrative than about the larger philosophical questions of the time. Once again the film struggles to match its run-time as the conversations lull whilst you wait for the conclusion of the movie and the what happens next but in this case its a more satisfying conclusion.

2.5/4 Improvement on its predecessor in many areas.

Film Review: Before Sunrise

Director: Richard Linklater

Sometimes films with a very minimalist plot that are based mostly around conversations and interaction between characters can be the boldest and most daring films to shoot. There is always the risk of the film being boring if the characters involved aren't engaging or interesting to listen to, Roman Polanski's Carnage was a case in point where two couples engage in an argument solely in an apartment for the length of the film (one that I really enjoyed but other critics were more lukewarm about).

Before Sunrise is the first in a trilogy of films by Richard Linklater based around the chance meeting of Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy). They are both travelling across Europe having caught a train from Budapest with Jesse flying back to America from Vienna whilst Celine is going back to Paris to college after visiting her grandmother. They end up talking after Celine moves away from a couple that is arguing and after getting on so well Celine decides to depart the train in Vienna with Jesse to spend more time together.

Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy)

It is an intriguing film, right at the forefront of the backpacking and travelling culture that the young generation have embraced in the last decade. The chance meetings of young people on trains and at youth hostels etc is growing rapidly. The short relationship between Jesse and Celine feels very genuine which makes us care more about the characters as the film develops. The sense of one day and one event changing your life is what really underpins the good things about this movie, really something interesting to take away with you. Some of the topics of conversation they meander onto lack interest whilst the characters thoughts on relationships and love are slightly cliché in that they are cynical but clearly still believers. This meant it was slightly predictable in parts and you do will the film to get to its finale so you can find out what happens to them but you're pleasantly surprised when you get there.

2/4 Likeable but flawed romantic drama

Film Preview: The Company You Keep

An impressive ensemble cast (and Shia LeBeouf) has come together for this political thriller which has flown a little under the radar here in the UK. The Weather Underground movement was an organization made up of radical left wing protesters who committed bombings and jailbreaks during the 1970's in protest against the Vietnam War with them mostly targeting banks and government buildings.

An ex-Weather Underground militant learns that his compatriot in a bank robbery in the 1970's has been arrested and that he is now being sought, when a journalist learns of his true identity he tries to get his daughter to safety as well as escaping himself.

The Company You Keep is released in the UK on the 23rd July 2013 and the trailer is embedded below:

Film Review: Man of Steel

Director: Zack Snyder

The latest superhero franchise to be rebooted, Zack Snyder (Watchmen) is the director with Christopher Nolan producing and David S. Goyer writing the screenplay. Goyer was part of the team that wrote The Dark Knight franchise for Batman so the production team had a group with an impressive record in this field. Unfortunately some of the little touches that elevated The Dark Knight to being one of the best superhero films are missing in Man of Steel. The original movie superhero is no longer the top dog in his field.

Superman (Henry Cavill)

Kal-El is saved from the destruction of the planet Krypton after being sent in a spaceship to Earth in possession of the codex that can rebuild the Kryptonian race by his father Jor-El (Russell Crowe), much to the chagrin of General Zod (Michael Shannon) who wants to rebuild the race in his own way. On Earth we see that Kal-El has been raised as Clark (Henry Cavill) by Kansas farmers Jonathan and Marta Kent (Kevin Costner and Diane Lane respectively) where he learns about his powers and how to control them as he grows up.

The opening scenes of Jor-El trying to escape the attacks of Zod were a complete CGI-fest which at times reminded me of Avatar, obviously not a good thing, with Crowe diving on a flying dragon to escape. Whilst the devices used to communicate and protect on the planet in silver with a liquid type face were more reminiscent of Prometheus, again not a good movie to be aiming to emulate. Pure CGI fighting and escape scenes just aren't that entertaining for me, the stunts aren't impressive considering a computer drew them and, as is the case here, are often too long and repetitive.

General Zod (Michael Shannon)

The story of Clark growing up in Kansas through school whilst gradually realizing that he is different due to the powers he possesses was a marked improvement in the movie from the opening although was a little rushed and underplayed. Henry Cavill was excellent as Superman, he truly showed the physical strength and strength of character required to play the great superhero. He outshines most of the cast, especially Amy Adams as Lois Lane who is a disappointment but more on that later, and the early scenes where we see him working as a grownup were some of the best. This is the section where you see the magic that Nolan brings in creating a character with a likable history that sets the tone for everything they do in the future movies in the series.

The main issue with the movie was the fighting and action scenes, they were often needlessly long and un-original. Once you've seen Superman or one of the antagonists thrown through a building, tanker or other large object a dozen times without much injury it loses its meaning. The camerawork during the action scenes was also incredibly jumpy, to the point that I felt quite nauseous on a couple of occasions (and I wasn't even watching in 3D, obviously).

Lois Lane (Amy Adams)

Man of Steel, like the latest Star Trek movies, in some ways is displaying what's wrong with cinema these days with far too much over the top CGI action which doesn't really go anywhere over genuine character development and script. Lois Lane's character was just a half baked idea and her discovery of who Superman was clearly just thrown is an after thought when the screenplay was coming together. The key many felt to the Dark Knight films was that Batman himself was rarely in the film for longer than 15-20mins so the scenes where he was present were of much more importance, something which is sadly lost here.

1.5/4 A messy start to the reboot mainly saved by Superman himself

Film Review: Promised Land

Director: Gus Van Sant

The process of hydraulic fracturing, colloquially known as fracking, is a huge issue between natural gas companies and environmentalists who analyse the impact to the land where this process takes place. It's a topic that has been discussed in the UK with potential sites being found along with South Wales coast and the North West coast running from Liverpool up into Cumbria, but in Middle America it is an exponentially bigger issue.

With towns having few jobs with major manufacturing leaving town for cheaper labour abroad the gas companies are moving in to buy the land for fracking whilst playing down the risks to the local environment. This issue has mainly just been dealt with in documentary films up to this point but Matt Damon and John Krasinski have come together and written the screenplay for this film that they both star in. Damon plays Steve Butler whose job is to purchase land for fracking for a gas company at as cheaper price as possible with his partner Sue (Frances McDormand). They run into a few town members who are against it and after a vote is decided upon they soon have to battle environmentalist Dustin Noble (Krasinski) whose determined to persuade the townspeople to say no.

Sue and Steve

*possible spoilers*
An intriguing topic is reasonably well dealt with, as a film it leaves a lot of questions to ponder about what you would do if you were struggling financially against selling your potential future business as a farmer etc? It's certainly not an easy issue to decide one way or the other and this film does well to bring this topic to the attention of the greater public. The plot is slightly formulaic as they build towards the vote to decide whether drilling will happen in this un-named mid-American town with the usual potential love story thrown into the mix.

The acting is clearly good with the likes of Damon, McDormand and Krasinski being well experienced in this sort of role, the only concern being McDormand playing a role very similar to many previous roles like she's had with the Coen Brothers. As the film works its way towards its conclusion a clever little twist leaves you enthralled as you wait to see what the final outcome will be only for it to be an incredibly cliché and 'Hollywood' type ending which left me furious, it was a total waste of an opportunity on such a decent film and great plot topic. To be honest my advice is that if you are going to watch it skip the last ten mins and move on.

1.5/4 Harsh rating but dreadful ending leaves a very sour taste

This week's releases

Man of Steel: The Superman franchise is the latest to be rebooted after the huge success of The Dark Knight franchise for Batman and the impressive box office sales yet slightly limp film for the Spiderman reboot. Henry Cavill stars as the hero with this film presumably setting his back story as a child which will lead onto a franchise, Michael Shannon stars as the antagonist General Zod.

Much ado about Nothing: After the success of Avengers Assemble, Joss Wheedon moves onto completely different ground with a modern movie version of the famous Shakespeare play. Wheedon works with many actors and actresses that he is familiar with most of the movie being shot around his house in Los Angeles whilst working on a shoestring budget.

Admission: A conscientious Princeton admissions officer discovers the son she gave up for adoption is applying for a place at her university. Questioning everything she believes in, she gradually begins to put her straight-laced ways behind her as she reconnects with her past and discovers happiness can come from breaking the rules. Starring Tina Fey and Paul Rudd.

Film Review: 42

Director: Brian Helgeland

The American public love nothing more than a Baseball movie set in the past, a romantic look back at times gone by in America's most historic sport. They make Basketball and American Football movies with zeal but they never live up to the success of Baseball films such as Eight Men Out and The Pride of the Yankees, even when it comes to comedy they stand ahead like Bull Durham. In this case, 42 stands with the former as we are transported back to a world just after the end of World War II with racial segregation rife.

Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman)

Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman) is one of the best player in a baseball league played exclusively by African-Americans due to racial segregation, he is taken from this environment by Brooklyn Dodgers Chief Executive Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford) who believes he can play with white players in the Major League. The film follows his efforts in the minor league and then at the top level against a tide of racial discrimination to set a trend for generations to come.

A film that displays someone triumphing over massive adversity has been a staple of Hollywood films for decades, especially in sports movies its either been a bunch of misfits coming together to form a winning team or an individual succeeding at a time when they shouldn't. Jackie Robinson is the latter as he overcomes racism in everyday life and on the baseball field as he tries to make a living playing Baseball in the Major League. Although the plot is a familiar format the true story element adds so much more to this story and makes it a more enjoyable ride as you move towards the satisfying conclusion.

Team Executive Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford)

Harrison Ford comes across as a slightly zany team executive who is the mastermind behind Jackie becoming the first black player to play in Major League Baseball. Chadwick Boseman is capable in the lead role but it's a film that is less about him personally and more about what is happening around him. Jackie is largely absent on a personal level and after two hours you don't feel you know anything about him as a man, just what happened to him. John C. McGinley as announcer Red Barber is a highlight with his deft and subtle humour amongst his commentary. It is a film that is solid in pretty much ever regard but at no point does it really wow you with anything unexpected or different from what has gone before with its ties to a film like Remember the Titans. 

2/4 Solid but not ground breaking sports drama

Film Preview: Elysium

Matt Damon goes from being a gay partner to Liberace with superbly manicured hair in Behind the Candelabra to big machine gun toting skinhead in Elysium, certainly trying to prove that he can play a variety of roles. Jodie Foster plays the supporting role and the main antagonist in the movie. The director is Neill Blomkamp who rose to prominence with his film District 9 and some of same themes and motifs are expected to run through this more action packed movie.

Matt Damon looking different from his look in Behind the Candelabra

Set in the year 2154, the very wealthy live in paradise on a spaceship whilst the poor are left on what is left of Earth in its ruined state. Max Da Costa (Matt Damon) decides that the worlds should be equal so starts a mission to invade the spaceship to get state of the art medicine that many of the people on Earth need.

Elysium is released in the UK on 23rd August and the trailer is embedded below:

Film Review: Side Effects

Director: Steven Soderbergh

After the recent announcement that Behind the Candelabra would be Soderbergh's last film, it was only fitting that I saw his penultimate film before retirement. As a director he has had a distinguished career working on some fantastic movies which ensures he leaves behind an impressive legacy. Its surreal to think that Sex, Lies and Videotape was over 20 years ago, his latest film is a psychological thriller about a new drug released to the market for depression and the devastating effects it has on the lives of the people who take it.

Emily Taylor (Rooney Mara)

Emily Taylor (Mara) is suffering from depression as her husband, Martin (Tatum), is released from prison for insider trading. She tries to kill herself which lands her in the hospital where she meets psychiatrist Dr. Jonathan Banks (Law) who makes her promise to visit him for sessions if he releases her from hospital. After trying drugs that don't help her she ends up on a new drug called Ablixa that is recommended to Banks by a colleague called Dr. Victoria Siebert (Zeta-Jones) which has disastrous consequences.

Soderbergh is renowned for creating tense thrillers that leave you enthralled as they slowly unravel infront of you, Side Effects is no different as the audience tries to piece together the puzzle behind the Ablixa drug that caused the sleepwalking and its consequences in Emily. Much like Contagion, Soderbergh asks us moral questions in this case what is a person's responsibilities for their actions if drugs are involved. Contagion looked at the human aspect of a contagious virus that is wiping out millions of people on the planet to ask us what we would do and how would we act.

Dr. Jonathan Banks (Jude Law) with Dr. Victoria Siebert (Catherine Zeta-Jones)

The focus is more on Jude Law than on the subjects of the case, Mara and Tatum, as he attempts to uncover exactly what has gone on. The acting is impressive although Zeta Jones is certainly a weak link as her ice maiden act just left her looking limp and dull. Having worked together previously, Soderbergh knows how to create the right characters for Jude Law with him reprising a similar role as he took in Contagion but Rooney Mara is the star turn as the fragile wife.

Soderbergh explores some interesting ideas and poses some tough questions for us. This psychological thriller lends a lot to the works of Alfred Hitchcock, such as Vertigo and Obsession, who was the master of the genre. At times it is suspense filled especially through the middle third which makes you doubt what to believe, the script is cleverly constructed and I have to say I was more than pleasantly surprised by this dark thriller.

3/4 Clever thriller with a Hitchcockian feel

This week's releases

After Earth: There were a few skeptics of this movie before it was released to critics but now it has been seen and reviewed by many it is taking an absolute pounding for its absurd storyline and bad acting. Is this the end of Will Smith as a reliable box office star?

Full preview here

The Last Exorcism Part II: Return of the mind numbing horror staple for this summer, Nell Sweetzer (Ashley Bell) is recovering from the terrifying events of the past and trying to make a new start in New Orleans.

Behind the Candelabra: The film that was "too gay for Hollywood" after no distributors picked it up and aired direct to TV on HBO. Michael Douglas plays the famous Liberace with Matt Damon taking up the role as his young lover Scott Thorson.

Full preview here

The Iceman: A long wait for this to be released in the UK after a delayed release in America, Micheal Shannon plays notorious contract killer Richard Kuklinski in this mob thriller.

Full preview here

Film Review: Ballplayer: Pelotero

Director: Ross Finkel and Trevor Martin

In Latin America and especially in the Dominican Republic, Baseball is the most popular sport and quite often the only sport that people are interested in. Major League Baseball, the name for the professional league in America, has around 20% of its players come from the Dominican Republic despite the small island only having 2% of the American population. Baseball is big business there for everyone involved as the players chase big signing bonuses, coaches take their commission and the teams look to snap players up for bargain prices compared to American youngsters.

The movie follows two 16 year olds who on the 2nd July will be eligible to sign for a Major League Baseball team in America for thousands or even millions of dollars. The boys are Jean Carlos Batista and Miguel Angel Sano, the latter being the most highly touted prospect in the country that year. They both live away from their families at centers that give the boys basic schooling but primarily teach them baseball so that they can impress when the big scouts come to visit. The coaches pay for everything for the young players including food, board, equipment and medical bills but will also take up to 35% of the players bonus if he is signed by a team as commission, if he remains unsigned then he receives nothing for all the time and money spent.

Jean Carlos Batista fields a ball in training

The film shows the work and dedication put in by the players to achieve their dream of earning big money in America for themselves and for their families. It is admirable how well they deal with the pressure of their entire work coming down to a few tryouts for the scouts considering their futures are hanging in the balance at the age of 16. The money offered to some players reaches the millions which means just so much more in the Dominican Republic but if you aren't signed aged 16 then chances are you won't get an opportunity again. It is very matter of fact about how baseball works in the country and is very well presented.

We also see corruption in baseball examined, Sano is put under investigation as previously players had lied about their ages and forged documents to do so as well as played under other people's names. We see genuine footage of a Pittsburgh Pirates scout saying to Sano's family that if he just signs for them for less money he'll make the investigation go away. It is incredibly candid footage which wasn't taken seriously enough at the time, unfortunately if professional sports teams can find a way to exploit poor people to save money then they will try it. It's just not the world of sports that is criticized by this corruption but human nature as a whole.

3/4 Intriguing documentary to the murky underside of baseball

Film Review: The Cove

Director: Louie Psihoyos

A 2009 documentary film that followed a group of activists as they visited the town of Taiji, Wakayama, Japan which is renowned for capturing and/or killing Dolphins to either sell to captivity or to use their meat for public consumption. It is almost the hidden story as over 23,000 dolphins are killed in Japan every year whilst the more public renowned Whaling hunts only kill a tiny number compared to this. Naturally the Japanese media tried to discredit the film saying that scenes were staged as the media ignores the issue of killing dolphins and the Japanese government even pays small impoverished nations for support and votes with the International Whaling Commission.

The local Japanese fisherman are aggressive towards the activists and hold up placards telling them to not take pictures or film what is going on. The Dolphins are caught in one bay open to view by the public but the ones not taken into captivity are killed in another cove out of the public view, the activists installed hidden cameras overnight so they could capture the shocking footage of the Dolphins being killed with spears in great number.s

The result of Dolphins being killed in 'The Cove'

It is a documentary that sought to bring this ignored topic into the public arena and it certainly succeeded with Japanese becoming very defensive about it especially when the film won an Oscar for Best Documentary in 2010. The film does struggle at times to maintain your full interest over a 90 minute feature but is still an well constructed piece which builds to quite a dramatic conclusion. It is clearly a little biased in its message but that should not stop us from applauding the qualities in the film and open up the debate on this.

People may argue that killing the Dolphins is just like the western world killing cows but I honestly can't see how that is the same considering the inhumane way it is done and the evidence of how levels of mercury in Dolphins. A classic battle for the truth in a world of secrecy and propaganda to keep the whaling business alive.

3/4 Successfully lifts the lid on the forgotten deaths

Film Review: God Grew Tired of Us

Director: Christopher Dillon Quinn

This 2006 documentary about three boys from Sudan who fled the civil war in the 1980s and were given the opportunity to emigrate to America leaving their families behind. The film was released at the Sundance Film Festival and won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary as well as other awards at more minor film festivals were it featured.

It centers around three boys, John Bul Dau, Daniel Pach and Panther Bior, who as young boys in the 80's walked hundreds of miles to escape the civil war and ethnic cleansing that blighted their country. They managed to escape to Ethiopia but then had to travel again as war broke out there as well, they survived mainly in refugee camps before they were offered the chance to move to America with the help of Catholic Charities International. The film moves onto the boys experiences in adapting to life in America and being apart from their familes.

The Sudanese boys in America

The issue of genocide and civil war in America is a topic that needs to be opened out and discussed at length by the Western world, at any one time there is wars and oppression throughout Africa that is just left unhindered by governments. This film was a chance to really examine the causes of this in Africa but once again largely ignores this as turns its attention to the boys adjusting to the very different life in America which although interesting doesn't have the same interest factor to last the run time.

Moving anywhere new is a daunting experience and full of different local customs to get used to, naturally moving from somewhere like Sudan to the USA is about as different and as difficult as is possible to imagine. Once you get past the initial shock of everything being different its a film that struggles to hold much interest, the fact that some struggle with being away from their families is natural but to be honest I was more shocked that the American government were insistent on them repaying them for the airfare!

1.5/4 A documentary marked as a missed opportunity

Film Review: The Tillman Story

Director: Amir Bar-Lev

A 2010 documentary that investigates the intriguing life of Pat Tillman, a man who was drafted to play in the NFL following a successful college career at Arizona State University and was even inducted into the College Hall of Fame in the year he died. He ended up staying in Arizona to play for the Cardinals in the NFL before he suddenly decided to join the Army to fight alongside his brothers in Afghanistan. It was a shocking decision which left many puzzled but also pleased many as even someone with such a great career ahead of them was willing to do his part for his country.

Army Ranger and Pro Footballer Pat Tillman

Unfortunately the story had a tragic ending when Pat Tillman was killed whilst on patrol in Afghanistan, the family were devastated but only after more time and investigation was it revealed that he was killed by friendly fire. The family embarked on an incredibly tough journey to try and reveal the truth over his death and the mistakes that were made but failed even after an investigation by the House of Representatives. The documentary opened up corruption that lead from the Army Captains right up to Donald Rumsfeld and President George W. Bush.

The army trying to use the death of a high profile soldier like Pat Tillman as an advertisement to join the army and using him as part of a recruiting campaign was simply appalling. The American military is extremely corrupt in the way it handles its incredibly bloated finances so it isn't particularly shocking that it would operate in this manner. The family deserve a lot of credit for the work they put in to finding out about the death of their son, brother and husband but to never know exactly what happened must be gut-wrenching. The documentary is incredibly well presented with frank interviews with many of the people involved, naturally anyone defending the actions of the army and governments refused to really comment, surprising.

3.5/4 Riveting look at one families loss and the corruption in the American Military.