Thor 2, Catching Fire, Gone

A couple of newer releases for a change~

#1 - THOR 2: THE DARK WORLD

Stars - Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Christopher Ecclestone

Director - Alan Taylor

Memorable Quote - "There is nothing more reassuring than knowing that the world is crazier than you are."

Review - I watched the first Thor movie just a day before this one, so it was nice and fresh in my head and I knew everything that was going on (although, confusingly, I watched Avengers Assemble months before, so it was all the wrong way round). This was an entertaining one and used the 3D quite well, mostly with subtle touches and only a few all out action sequences where they threw things at us. A few little things about the plot (particularly where Loki is concerned) were groaningly predictable, but then that's what you come to expect from a comic book movie. A fair movie and good entertainment.  3.5/5

#2 - CATCHING FIRE

Stars - Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, 

Director - Francis Lawrence

Memorable Quote - "Stay with me?" "Always."

Review - Ahhhh it is so hard for me to be eloquent about this movie. I seriously squeed/gasped/cried my way through the whole thing. I'm a huge fan of the books and the series in general, and with Jennifer Lawrence being one of my favourite people ever there is no way I was going to not love this to pieces. It was incredibly faithful to the book despite having to chop a few sequences, but most of it was just the way I pictured it in my head, incredibly well done. Normally book adaptations annoy me but this just dazzled. Harrelson is still a scream, Lawrence is still perfect as Katniss, Hutcherson is becoming more and more adorable, and my heart leapt in my throat when Gale was being punished. I can't say any more than this without it all just coming out at once in a fan girl squeal! 5/5

#3 - GONE

Stars - Amanda Seyfried, Wes Bentley

Director - Heitor Dahlia

Memorable Quote - "He never existed. It was all in my head."

Review - Gone is a bit of a strange one. Amanda Seyfried is wide eyed as ever yet strong throughout, and she convinces well: you can see both the victim who is determined to rise above her experiences as well as the crazy, obsessed girl that the others think she is. It is all very creepy and tense as she tracks down the guy that she is after, but then... there’s no twist. It just ends. I was convinced through most of it that it was Seneca Crane from the Hunger Games who kidnapped her sister, but all those suspicious hints about him not being where he was supposed to be turned out to be red herrings. I have literally no idea what was going on there, or why he was used in that way. 3/5

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Fracture, Entrapment, The Bone Collector

Crime special!

#1 -FRACTURE

Stars -Ryan Gosling, Anthony Hopkins, Rosamund Pike

Director -Gregory Hoblit

Memorable Quote -"Even a broken clock is right twice a day."

Review - This is quite the interesting legal drama, in which Hannibal Lector (what? It is the same character, isn’t it?) faces off against Ryan Gosling, in a plot which is somewhat reminiscent of Primal Fear in the way that it has the legal man defeated by a criminal that he at first underestimated before realising how far he had got things wrong. Unlike in that film however, here a final act twists brings a conclusion to the case, which gives it a whole different flavour and certainly makes it very satisfying indeed. 3/5

#2 - ENTRAPMENT

Stars - Sean Connery, Catherine Zeta Jones, Ving Rhames

Director -John Amiel

Memorable Quote -"In order for there to be complete trust between thieves, there can be nothing personal."

Review - I’m not sure who it was that, long ago, decided that Sean Connery was attractive, but he is not. Particularly in his white haired and very much hairy guise here, he is not attractive at all. The image of him snuggling up to poor Catherine Zeta Jones is one that will haunt my mind forever, and they did not even have a bed to lie on but a dirty, dusty floor. Poor girl. I could not even focus on how ridiculous the rest of the film is from that point on once I had passed that scene, as it dominated my every thought and indeed my nightmares for several weeks. It does not bear thinking about. 2/5

#3 -THE BONE COLLECTOR

Stars - Denzel Washington, Angelina Jolie, Queen Latifah

Director - Phillip Noyce

Memorable Quote - "Destiny is what we make it"

Review -This is an interesting take on the old detective genre, featuring of course the famously shred veteran policeman who knows all of the tricks and will solve the crime quickly, along with his rookie partner who is struggling to learn the ropes and who will be tested to their utmost. The formula is challenged here however with the introduction of the idea of Denzel Washington as the paralysed cop who cannot take action himself, and who must therefore use Jolie’s character as not only his eyes and ears on the street but also his hands and feet as she follows his directions to try and stop the killer before it is too late. 3/5

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The Notebook, Eat Pray Love, Dear John

#1 -THE NOTEBOOK

Stars -Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams, Gena Rowlands, James Garner

Director -Nick Cassavetes

Memorable Quote -"If you're a bird, I'm a bird!"

Review - I put off watching this for so long because I had heard that it was a total sobfest, but eventually one day when I was feeling as though I needed a little more Gosling in my life I went out and bought it on a whim. I have to say I am glad I did: as far as love stories go, this has to be the Titanic of  the2000s, a romance of which any woman would be jealous and any man would dream of as it sweeps Ally and Noah off their feet and along before it like a whirlwind. I could gush about the script, the filming style, the rain scene, the dialogue, the script – but I will just let it all rest with a simple instruction that any female readers who have not seen this should absolutely go and see it now, and then accept the reality that no man is ever going to measure up in real life to the way that Noah is in this film and everything is ruined for you forever. 5/5

#2 -EAT PRAY LOVE

Stars - Julia Roberts, Javier Bardem, Billy Crudup, James Franco

Director -Ryan Murphy

Memorable Quote -"Sometimes to lose balance for love is part of living a balanced life."

Review - The film is neatly divided into three parts – the eating, praying, and loving which the title suggests – and really one could almost imagining that they were watching Julia Roberts trying to remake her acting career and try something different rather than watching the storyline as it really is. One reason that you should watch this film is the advice given in one scene, in which Roberts’ character asks another if any man has ever complained once they saw her body, and which many, many girls out there could benefit from thinking about in order to stop them from worrying quite so much about diets and exercise and getting those perfect thigh gaps or flat stomachs. On the other hand, not much really happens in most of the film, so this is more the light Sunday viewing type of movie than something to really watch again and again and put deep concentration into. 3/5

 

#3 -DEAR JOHN

Stars - Channing Tatum, Amanda Seyfried, Richard Jenkins

Director -Lasse Hallström

Memorable Quote -"The saddest people I've ever met in life are the ones who don't care deeply about anything at all."

Review - Honestly, if you hate yourself and/or have just gone through a really horrible break up then I absolutely recommend watching The Notebook, PS I Love You, and then this film all in a row. You will cry so hard that you may never cry again. What strikes me more than anything about this film is how it could all have been avoided, and exactly how much time the main characters needlessly waste when they had the chance to be happy together. Ultimately it is a film about sacrifice – whether it means literal sacrifice in the name of your country, or the sacrifice of love in order to allow someone else to be happy. It is a tear jerker, but ultimately frustrating as you just want to bang their heads together through most of it. 3.5/5

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Dogville, Ice Age 3. Les Sept Jours du Talion

Finally getting around to uploading some old blogs! Enjoy.

#1 -DOGVILLE

Stars -Nicole Kidman, Paul Bettany, Lauren Bacall, Stellan Skarsgard, John Hurt

Director -Lars Von Trier

Memorable Quote -"Oh, I think you have plenty to offer Dogville."

Review - Dogville may seem like a long film when you start off, but it is worth it. The setting is fantastic: at first it seems as though the chalk outlines and meagre props are weird, but the further you get the more fitting it is, and it allows you to see the whole cast going about their business at once – which is especially poignant during the first rape scene. Later it all makes sense, when you realise that Grace is almost acting in a play of her own rather than allowing the events to become real to her. The moment when she gets into the car and begins the argument about being stubborn triggers a certain surreal realisation akin to that which strikes you in Fight Club. I hate to use the word perfect, but I cannot think of any other way to describe the way that twist hits you in the face! For once I forget the Kidman is Kidman, something that is not normally possible, and Bettany is absolutely fantastic here as ever. The rest of the cast paint detailed pictures of the closeted townspeople, and all in all thus has redeemed my earlier (negative) view of Von Trier massively. 5/5

#2 - ICE AGE: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS

Stars - John Leguiziamo, Queen Latifah, Dennis Leary, Simon Pegg

Director - Carlos Saldanha, Mike Thurmeier

Memorable Quote -

Review - Ice Age 3 is a great little cartoon in the tradition of the first two films of the franchise, and though generally speaking these kid friendly series try to go on for too long this one has not yet outstayed its welcome. More than this one will stretch the patience of parents, no doubt, but the kids will continue to love them as the formula is a solid one. There is nothing wrong with this bit of harmless entertainment, thought I did spend half the movie rereading the cast list in astonishment and wondering if that really was Simon Pegg’s voice. 3/5

#3 - LES SEPT JOURS DU TALION

Stars -  Claude Legault, Rémy Girard

Director - Daniel Grou

Memorable Quote -n/a

Review - This is a really interesting one. Going in to it you almost expect a torture porn, Martyrs-style film, but what you get feels more like an Eastern European arthouse take on the genre. The start is gentle and soaked with tristesse, more reminiscent of ‘4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days’ than Martyrs, as large swathes of the film contain no music or dialogue but simply quiet sounds and images which are for the most part still: footsteps, the sound of a leather jacket creaking as the wearer slowly rocks backwards and forwards, the wind blowing. The effect is eerie and mournful, as the grey and blue palette mutes this world yet further and pans introduce the only real movement in many scenes. Snippets tell a story, and the shots are all tasteful; the first moment of true nudity, as the killer is shown in a full body shot, marks the film’s transition into the seven days for which it is named and the second act of the plot. Everything is done in a subtle and understated manner – the metaphor of the deer is presented, but not laboured upon overly, as it might have been in the hands of another director. Unexpectedly, this film that should from the plot have been tacky and bloody is instead a rare gem of beauty. 5/5

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Groundhog Day, Big Daddy, Me, Myself, & Irene

A bit of classic humour in this one - by which I mean comedy films which are kinda old now.


#1 - GROUNDHOG DAY

Stars -Bill Murray, Andy MacDowell, Chris Elliott

Director -Harold Ramis

Memorable Quote -"That's right, woodchuck-chuckers - it's...Groundhog Day!"

Review - For many people, this is regarded as quite the classic. What it really is is a great bit of fun, and you just have to enjoy watching it for the concept itself. Of course you will want to try and imagine what you would do with all of that time yourself, and despite the real world implications of what would really happen afterwards, the ending is really feel good and leaves you with a smile on your face. A good performance all round, although Bill Murray has always struck me as an odd choice for a romantic male lead – though this does help the impression of him struggling to be that perfect man. 3.5/5

#2 - BIG DADDY

Stars - Adam Sandler, Joey Lauren Adams, Jon Stewart, Cole & Dylan Sprouse, Rob Schneider, Steve Buscemi

Director -Dennis Dugan

Memorable Quote -"Having a kid is great... as long as his eyes are closed and he's not moving or speaking."

Review - This one is something of a sickly sweet comedy, with a very unrealistic view on things and of course a denouement in which everyone acts like everything will be fine when really there is no possible way that it can be. Interestingly enough I had actually seen this before, and managed to get a good hour into watching it again before I realised that I remembered seeing it; that speaks volumes for how much of an impact it actual made the first time. This is the kind of film that you might put on while you are sitting and chatting with friends or to have on in the background while you are working on something, but really it is nothing special that requires your full attention. Some of the scenes also suffer from the classic Sandler curse of his comedian friends being allowed to do whatever they want, even though it just is not funny. 2.5/5

#3 -ME, MYSELF, & IRENE

Stars - Jim Carrey, Renee Zellweger, Chris Cooper, Richard Jenkins

Director - Bobby and Peter Farrelly

Memorable Quote - "Man how the hell can they call Pluto a planet?"

Review - Say what you like about Jim Carrey  - and many people do – this one is actually alright. There is some unnecessary mugging of the kind that he is very much prone to at the start, but thankfully it only takes up a small amount of screen time and much of the film is given over to madcap adventures and the exploits of the main character’s three “sons” as well as his attempts to woo Zellweger. Certainly not all of the film is funny, but some parts of it very much are and that redeems it enough to make it enjoyable. If you can make it through without cringing too much, you will have a good experience overall. 3.5/5

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The Dark Knight Rises, Skyfall, Chronicle

I've used up all my gold stars for this one...

#1 - THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

Stars - Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Caine

Director - Christopher Nolan

Memorable Quote - "Death! By exile."

Review - As the final instalment of Nolan’s Batman trilogy, the expectations piled on this film were remarkably high – perhaps higher than they have ever been for a movie starring Bats – and it has certainly suffered for that in the way that many people have given it disappointed reviews. I loved it, however – silly plot holes aside and all of the rest of it, it was a fitting conclusion to the story arc and one that really brought out the best of both Bale’s character and the supporting characters. Hardy shone as Bane, and Cotillard of course always captures the attention, but Gordon-Levitt has to be the stand out character here – if only for that little twist at the end that revealed his identity, and who he might become. The fact that he appeared briefly in The Dark Knight is a testament to the vision and forethought put into place by Nolan, and above all it just makes you wish that he would come back and do some more. 5/5

#2 - SKYFALL

Stars - Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Judi Dench, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris

Director - Sam Mendes

Memorable Quote - "What did you expect, an exploding pen?"

Review - Skyfall is intense Bond at its modern best. As the film itself acknowledges, this is stripped back to basics: no gadgets, no exploding pens, just Bond and his superhuman ability to carry on fighting past the point of pain. With beautiful scenes such as the end sequence, featuring silhouettes against glowing orange mist, and a soundtrack that is bold and Bond during action but quiet and subtle otherwise, this is a masterclass in film making. The car is a fantastic and appropriate nod to the heritage of the series; the humour is as British as ever; and the switchover to a new era is handled with great style and grace. Overall, it is a hit worthy of the franchise. 5/5

#3 - CHRONICLE

Stars - Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell, Michael B. Jordan

Director - Josh Trank

Memorable Quote - "There's something wrong with Andrew."

Review - When I sat down to watch this film, I was expecting it to be the normal dull fare of the genre – but it completely blew me away. A filming style that is at once natural and yet also different to most films out there sets it apart right from the start, and rather than found footage movies like Cloverfield where the camera is clumsily dragged along so that someone might be documenting it this has a good reason for the camera to be there – which makes it all the more enjoyable, as you can really get into the film. The cast are all stellar, to the point that you actually mourn the loss of each of them when they are no longer part of the plot, and the storyline is fantastic as it both introduces drama and tragedy in a great way whilst also making you wish that things had turned out differently. This is the kind of film that you will find yourself watching again so that you can try to catch hints of the ending at the start. 5/5

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Perfect Sense, Melancholia, Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World

It's Apocalypse time!

#1 - PERFECT SENSE

Stars - Ewan McGregor, Eva Green, Denis Lawson, Ewen Bremnar

Director - David McKenzie

Memorable Quote - "Because that is how life goes on. Like that."

Review - This film is about everyone in the world's sense disappearing one by one, and the way that it deals with the subject is very interesting. We too are stripped of our every sense as the film goes on: from the moment that the sense of hearing is lost there is no sound other than the calm sounding narration which describes throughout the film what is happening and what impact it had on them. It is an interesting concept and it is executed well; however, I found it to be quite drab and grey throughout, which almost made it seem as though the end could not come quickly enough! A little more colour early on would have been appreciated to create a nicer tone in the first place. Still, the love story is heart wrenching and must be saluted.  3/5

#2 - MELANCHOLIA

Stars - Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Keifer Sutherland, Alexander Skarsgard, John Hurt, Stellan Skarsgard

Director - Lars Von Trier

Memorable Quote - "This could have been a lot different."

Review - I'm not sure I was as impressed with Melancholia as I wanted to be. I genuinely wanted to enjoy it. From what I had heard I was expecting it to be fantastic. And yet, it just... wasn't. All of the interesting parts of the story were passed by without exploration, while altogether too much time was spent on naval gazing and recreating artistic scenes. The depression was portrayed well, particularly in the bath scene, but the other naked scenes were completely unnecessary and rather detracted from what was going on because it just made you think about how Dunst was getting naked. The beginning and the premonition was just too slow and dreary - a briefer shot for each part would have been better - and it got me off to a bad start in terms fo first impressions. I felt bored, and that is not what I look for in a film. 2/5

#3 - SEEKING A FRIEND FOR THE END OF THE WORLD

Stars - Steve Carrell, Keira Knightley

Director - Lorene Scarafia

Memorable Quote - "I'm not sure that the month between my wife leaving me and the end of the world sounds like good timing. Do you?"

Review - This is interesting because it deals with the same kind of subject as Melancholia, but annoyed me a hell of a lot less. I still find Knightley to be irritating as all get out because the girl really cannot act as well as Hollywood thinks she can, and that stands out in this piece besides the always reliable Carrell. We are used to him being the derided loser as well as the comedic turn, but this is something different and we can believe that he really did get the girl not once, but three times. The end is dealt with better than in Melancholia because at least we have a satisfying conclusion, which I will not ruin, and there is even the possibility that others may have survived with the tactics described throughout the scene. Apart from all of this, the dog was the best part of the film as it was absolutely adorable, I could not stop looking at it in every single scene! 4/5

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Get Him To The Greek, Grown Ups, The Other Guys

Comedy special!

#1 - GET HIM TO THE GREEK

Stars - Jonah Hill, Russell Brand, Rose Byrne, Elisabeth Moss, Sean Combs

Director - Nicholas Stoller

Memorable Quote - "Time to get our mind-fuck on."

Review - This is a laugh out loud film which I really thoroughly enjoyed. The fake rock songs scattered throughout are genius, and while Russell Brand may be playing his usual rock star character let's not forget that this is a comedy persona, so it's not as though he isn't acting - he's just typecast. Anyway, this is much better than his previous outings and it just keeps getting funnier, with particular highlights including the whirlwind chaos of the casino scene and some of the ridiculous fake music videos. This is worth a watch when you want to be spitting your drink across the room in uncontrollable laughter. 5/5

#2 - GROWN UPS

Stars - Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Steve Buscemi, Rob Schneider, Salma Hayek, Kevin James

Director - Dennis Dugan

Memorable Quote - "I want to get chocolate wasted."

Review - Grown Ups is actually hilarious. I did not really expect this to be the case, but  honestly, I laughed through a large amount of it. It's an honest and simple story of families needing to reconnect with each other and with themselves, and under all of the toilet humour there is quite a nice idea. I'm not sure how on earth they keep managing to get Steve Buscemi involved in these Adam Sandler films, but his part is fantastic, reminding one almost of that squirrel from Ice Age and his little sequences that break up the plot scenes. This is a great film for days when you need a pick me up, or when a film that requires too much thought would be taxing. 3.5/5

#3 - THE OTHER GUYS

Stars - Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Eva Mendes, Steve Coogan

Director - Adam Mckay

Memorable Quote - "I'm like a peacock, you gotta let me fly!"

Review - This is also fantastic. I actually went in to it just expecting something which might numb my brain for a while since I was tired, but I found it really funny and the chemistry between Ferrell and Wahlberg is just great. The scene pictured above, also known as the tuna/lion scene, was the moment at which I decided that, yes, this was a brilliant movie which I was enjoying very much; cameo appearances from Samuel L Jackson and The Rock, an ongoing joke about Eva Mendes' character and other women liking Ferrell, and a script that hits all the right notes did not hurt either. 5/5

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Pretty Woman, The Back Up Plan, The Invention of Lying

It's romcom time...


#1 - PRETTY WOMAN

Stars - Julia Roberts, Richard Gere, Hector Elizondo, Laura San Giacamo

Director - Garry Marshall

Memorable Quote - "In case I forget to tell you later, I had a really good time tonight."

Review - This is a classic, and you can tell right away by how good the soundtrack is. Even as someone who was not born when the film came out, I recognised every single song playing in the background, marking this out as a huge part of popular culture at the time. Gere shines in this with a face full of expression and a character that keeps you guessing for quite a while, as Roberts is full of energy and some kind of charm that only a newcomer to Hollywood could bring to the table. Her manners and way of walking complete the characterisation right down to a T, making this a special performance that is, ironically, a far cry from what she normally achieves these days. It is ironic, indeed, to think of the stereotype of the classy woman that she often falls victim to these days! The scene where she returns to the clothes shop where they refused to help her is a classic, and the hotel manager is a real charmer too. The only criticism I could have is how awkward and passionless it seems when they kiss and how much I had to shout OH GOD STOP KISSING OH GOD before they did. 3.5/5

#2 - THE BACK UP PLAN

Stars - Jennifer Lopez, Alex O'Loughlin, Michaela Watkins

Director - Kate Angelo

Memorable Quote - "You stole my cab!"

Review - This one is maybe stretching the boundaries of believability to create a madcap situation, but actually I enjoyed it. I was ill and couldn't eat anything and had to wear five blankets to stop shivering, and this was exactly what I needed to feel better. I actually laughed out loud at a couple of points, and for a nothing of a romcom you can't say fairer than that. Obviously don't go into it expecting Fight Club-esque twists and clever lines, but for the genre it is one of the better ones, and definitely scores well on the ratings list of Lopez movies. It's feel good and it's funny. 4/5

#3 - THE INVENTION OF LYING

Stars - Ricky Gervais, Jennifer Garner, Jonah Hill, Louis C.K., Rob Lowe, a million smaller parts

Director - Ricky Gervais, Matthew Robinson

Memorable Quote - "Ok, you're annoying me. Your voice is shrill. Goodbye."

Review - It seems Gervais has Hollywood in the palm of his hand at the moment, and one wonders how long it can last. This is another outing of the same character that he always plays, and while it is funny it just seems to be another example of "Ricky Gervais in x scenario". The voiceover at the start feels forced and put me off quite a bit, but it does get better. There are some sections where the dialogue sound is removed and this is nicely done, though you almost begin to feel as though the whole "man in the sky" segment is done just to be controversial on purpose - a tactic which I never find impressive. 3/5

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In Time, Bel Ami, Screwed

Yup, the blog is back! Hope you enjoy this latest round of reviews, more will follow.


#1 - IN TIME

Stars - Justin Timberlake, Cillian Murphy, Amanda Seyfried, Olivia Wilde, Matt Bomer

Director - Andrew Niccol

Memorable Quote - 'For a few to be immortal, many must die.'

Review - This is one that will certainly make you think. The concept is one that is wholly new (pretty rare for Hollywood), and this means that you really are never sure what to expect from each twist and turn. I loved the idea of time being a currency, as it really does bring in some great possibilities; and apart from some obvious plot holes, it was not a bad effort at all. Timberlake actually convinces as an actor these days and one can almost forget that he was a pop star, while Seyfried was unrecognisable and had all the (appropriate) naive charm of an actress in her first role. All in all, a great idea with a satisfying ending (and generally speaking, anything with Cillian Murphy in it gets a big thumbs up from me). 4.5/5

#2 - BEL AMI

I look at you with my vampire face

Stars - Robert Pattinson, Uma Thurman, Christina Ricci, Kristin Scott Thomas

Director - Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod

Memorable Quote - "I've been such a fool."

Review - I had to study Maupassant in my French A-Levels, and I loved the guy. I also hate Robert Pattinson, so I had no idea how this one was going to turn out. In the end, I found Pattinson as repulsive and dull as ever; but the plot was witty, clever, and neat, with all of the other parts fitting together brilliantly. I suppose it turned out exactly as I could have predicted. I'm also quite sure that hating Pattinson actually is what the character requires, because he is not likeable at all. 3/5
p.s. Pro tip: Never search "Bel Ami" in Google images with safe search turned off, because apparently there is a rather... dubious company which produces films of a different nature under that name. None of them, thankfully, star Robert Pattinson.

#3 - SCREWED

Stars - James D'Arcy, Noel Clarke, Frank Harper, Joseph Gilgun (for all of two background scenes), Andrew Shim

Director - Reg Traviss

Memorable Quote - I CAN'T REMEMBER BECAUSE I WAS TOO ANGRY ABOUT ANDREW SHIM

Review - Seriously, seriously, why do people keep giving Milky Andrew Shim acting jobs? HE CANNOT ACT. He could not act if every single person he knew was about to die and acting would save them. He could not act if you gave him fifteen million pounds. Just STOP putting him in movies and ruining them with his wooden hammy delivery of lines and primary school drama club expressions! He is not even hilarious like Nicolas Cage! He is just awful! Alright, rant over, because once again he was the only black mark on an otherwise excellent movie. D'Arcy is absolutely wonderful in this as the soldier who finds it hard to adjust, and turns to things he shouldn't to get by, while the plot twist at the end is just beautifully executed. It may look like a prison drama but it is only masquerading - this is a murder mystery, and make no bones about it. 4/5

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Dream House, The Invasion, District 9

#1 - DREAM HOUSE

Stars - Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz, Naomi Watts, Elias Koteas

Director - Jim Sheridan

Memorable Quote - 'Once upon a time, there were two little girls who lived in a house.'

Review - I'll say this: Daniel Craig is an amazing actor, and this does have some nice twists and turns along with some great tricks to help you get into this particular world (loved: Craig screaming on the floor and the lights gradually coming back on. Hated: Laughter and children fading into the wall). Naomi Watts makes an appearance due to what seems to be the assumption that if you put her in it, it makes it a bona fide thriller (since she's in pretty much all of them, ever). Weisz is fair. Despite all of this and an alright storyline, I was left feeling strangely underwhelmed. There were also a few lighting-based goofs, which as a photographer tend to pretty much kill me when I notice them; all in all a strange one that I'm not quite sure where I stand on. Neither loving nor hating - almost worse than slating it is not being able to form an opinion at all. 3/5

#2 - THE INVASION

Stars - Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Jeremy Northam

Director - Oliver Hirschbiegel

Memorable Quote - 'My husband is not my husband.'/ 'This is to imagine a world where human beings cease to be human.'

Review - This is an interesting one. From the chaotic opening of the shuttle disaster and the fake news reports, every effort is made to make us believe that this world is our own, and Daniel Craig here is no exception to the Craig-based statement I made above, even if his hair is hilarious. Kidman is even passable even if her accent is hilarious: her usual icy, slightly emotionless acting style works perfectly here, as she calculatingly attempts to blend in and survive the alien invasion, not for her own sake but for her son's. We see such staples as the zombie car scene, but these are not zombies; we see the traditional monster movie hiding in a store sequence, but these are no monsters. In the end, despite the fact that this is not an original movie, the idea behind it is very original and still makes an impact now. The final scenes of the film, though they present themselves as a happy ending, are not joyous - instead we see the sacrifice of a mother who wanted to make a different choice. Tense throughout and chilling for it, you could do a lot worse. 4/5

#3 - DISTRICT 9

Stars - Sharlto Copley

Director - Neill Blomkamp

Memorable Quote - 'We go home now?'

Review - The documentary style in which District 9 is shot leads to a quick build-up of apprehension, particularly on the part of Wikus. You feel immediately that something awful is going to happen but do not know what, which makes it more exciting to find out just what it will be. Although Wikus is at first an unlikeable character for the way he treats the aliens, you soon begin to sympathise with him, and by the end I found myself completely on his side. The consistency of the way the logos and camera details are integrated into most of the shots helps us see which parts are seen by the government and which aren't, building a clear picture of the situation and providing yet another of those details which make this film special, and one of the reasons for its success. 4/5

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Attack the Block, The Hunger Games, Footloose

#1 - ATTACK THE BLOCK

Stars - Nick Frost, John Boyega, Jodie Whittaker, Alex Esmail, Luke Treadaway, Simon Howard

Director - Joe Cornish

Memorable Quote - 'This is too much madness to explain in one text'

Review - What bills itself as a silly sci-fi comedy about teenagers in a London gang taking on an alien invasion single-handedly is actually a subtle and intelligent social commentary. The main cast seem to be a group of hard-edged black teens, mugging a woman in the first scene and brandishing knives, baseball bats, samurai swords and guns. As they develop throughout the movie we see them for what they really are: scared kids, struggling to survive in an environment that has let them down, turning to a life of crime in order to eat... the presence of the Brewis character, who lives with his parents, drives his Dad's car, and doesn't even pay rent, only reinforces this message. I've seen enough commentary from various internet sources - of people really not understanding the fact that real people aren't clean-cut heroes and that sometimes, yes, you do bad things but perhaps there's a reason and perhaps you can realise it was wrong and never do it again - that I'm going to move on now to the actual filming. The aliens were very well done, the script was flawless, everything felt genuine and real (I think I've met a few of the characters in real life), and even though the plot was simplistic I enjoyed it thoroughly. Reminds me of La Horde but a lot more light-hearted. 5/5

#2 - THE HUNGER GAMES

Stars - Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Wes Bentley, Stanley Tucci, Liam Hemsworth, Lenny Kravitz, Woody Harrelson

Director - Gary Ross

Memorable Quote - 'May the odds be ever in your favour.'

Review - I kind of went into this movie expecting not to like. And, unexpectedly... I did. I liked it a lot. I wasn't completely sure when I left the cinema, but by the time I got home I was sure I liked it. It grew on me, in a way that I suspect is responsible for the popularity of both the film and the books themselves. It had enough of an impact on me that I actually decided to buy the book, and I'm a die-hard Twilight hater, so I had written it off as more of the same. The actors are good, the effects are good, I love the fact that Katniss is a strong female character... I wish the films had told me a bit more, because I didn't always feel sure that I knew what the characters were thinking. I really commend the fact that there was so much of the runtime dedicated to the pre-Games part, as it was so essential for character development - even in that space of time I could barely keep track of five or six tributes, so with a shorter time it would have been horrendous. Fair play to it - the hype may, for once, actually have been justified. Also, I love Woody Harrelson. 4/5

#3 - FOOTLOOSE (2011)

Stars - Kenny Wormald, Julianne Hough, Dennis Quaid, Andy McDowell, Ray McKinnon, Miles Teller

Director - Craig Brewer

Memorable Quote - 'You can stick a quarter in that girl's backpocket and tell whether or not it's heads or tails.'

Review - Now, I haven't seen the original, and I'm having a pretty hard time trying to imagine Kevin Bacon in this role, so you'll have to excuse me for no comparisons. That said, this movie is actually laughably bad. I enjoyed it, but not in the way I think I was supposed to. Also I'm possibly getting too old for things like this, as in the bus race scene my only reaction was to get annoyed and say, "What a waste, it must have cost them a fortune to buy all those toys and do the buses up! Now all their hard work is ruined!". Anyway, this film tries way too hard, and there are so many problems with it that I can't even begin to list them all. It actually views like a really extended showreel dedicated to make you think "Boy, that Kenny Wormald sure can dance!" 1.5/5

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Sophie's Choice, Catfish, Becoming Jane

#1 - SOPHIE'S CHOICE

Stars - Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, Peter MacNicol

Director - Alan J. Pakula

Memorable Quote - "Don't you see? We are dying."

Review - Sadly, this is going to be a review of the particular DVD that I watched rather then the film itself. Why? Because, on a film with large swathes of dialogue in Polish and German, there were no subtitles available at all. Since I do not speak either of those languages, it became quite hard to follow and almost boring at times, though I did of course manage to get the general gist of what was going on. What I understood, I liked: the "present day" scenes reminded me of Cabaret's gleeful but dangerous love triangle, and you cannot help but feel a certain empathy for Stingo (although that is a fairly ridiculous name). Streep is a fantastic actress throughout, really becoming the role, and that is why this film is so respected; I would, however, highly recommend checking before watching that your copy holds those precious translations that you will most certainly need. 3/5

#2 - CATFISH

Stars - Ariel Schulman, Yaniv Schulman

Director - Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman

Memorable Quote - "There are those people who are catfish in life."

Review - Catfish is one of those movies that lead you to question your own moral stance on their content. For example, since the woman they unveiled as a sad, lonely creature inventing multiple identities also happened to lead one of the protagonists on and potentially break his heart, is it alright for them to exploit her in their film? Does that even matter if the film is, as many postulate, a hoax? Most of the interest in Catfish seems to centre around these two questions, but I'll say this for it: it keeps you on the edge of your seat, waiting for it to develop into some kind of terrifying teen thriller, and you can feel palpable tension as the three filmmakers arrive to meet 'Megan' for the first time. The fact that it does not develop into that thriller could be a little disappointing, but the feeling is soon replaced by the uncomfortable pity for a woman who lives her life through internet personas. Real or not real? Right or not right? Maybe those questions are too hard for a mere film reviewer to answer, so I'll finish with simply a rating. 3/5

#3 - BECOMING JANE

Stars - Anne Hathaway, James McAvoy, Laurence Fox, Julie Walters, James Cromwell, Maggie Smith 

Director - Julian Jarrold

Memorable Quote - 'What value will there ever be in life, if we are not together?'

Review - I actually had to check my archives multiple times in disbelief that I have not yet reviewed this movie; I've seen it enough times - I caught it at the cinema when it first came out and since then I never miss a chance to catch James McAvoy in that green velvet jacket. So many of the nuances of the film owe everything to Austen's works, in part out of necessity since not an awful lot is really known about her life; but those nuances are captured perfectly, and make the film a delight to any fan of Austen or of period drama in general. McAvoy smoulders as the arrogant gentleman who turns out to be a Mr Darcy type after all, while Hathaway's performance as the strong-spirited Jane is beautiful. Fox meanwhile provides the perfect unwanted fiance (though to be perfectly honest I don't see why she couldn't just marry him and live in happiness with a husband she could at least regard a great friend). The cast list is flawless all the way down, the dialogue sparkles, the costumes and locations inspire. All in all one of the best period dramas out there. 5/5

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