The Future

For Sophie and Jason, a fairly bohemian recent couple living in LA, life has come to a standstill. Jason (Hamish Linklater) is a customer service rep, working from home, whilst Sophie (Miranda July) is an aspiring dancer. The two find themselves at a lull in their relationship, seemingly uninterested, unexcited and extremely bored. At this point, Jason tells Sophie that he can freeze time, and encourages Sophie to pretend along with him. This, the film, seems to suggest, is demonstrative of the stale nature of their relationship in that they feel like their lives are trudging along with little to no significance.

In a bid to freshen things up, the two decide to adopt an injured cat from the local pet centre. This cat - bizarrely voiced by July in segments which employ a cat puppet to properly articulate its gestures - has an altogether holistic approach to life and manages to provides an almost out-of-body assessment of life, not only its own but that in general.

As Sophie and Jason drift further apart - him finding work as a door to door tree salesman pretending to preach the gospel of saving the environment, and she falling into the arms of an older singleton who seems to be sexually charged - the cat 'Paw Paw' delivers a soliloquy throughout, the dialogue changing to reflect the current state of affairs and thoughts which are heartbreaking.

With the stale couple realising they are no longer meant for each other, they also discover that Paw Paw has died, their stagnation and lack of care for one another has cost them the life of the very thing that was meant to keep them together.

Whilst The Future contains some baffling scenes and ideas - Jason finds himself conversing with the moon, and Sophie's attempts at replicating Youtube dance videos are not only irritating but also rather pointless - the feeling of stagnation within a relationship is one that is not only extremly difficult to portray within a film but is also different to articulate into spoken word, so for that sense of helplessness and suffocation to be expressed so well is of credit to July, who directed the film herself, having won at Cannes and Sundance with her previous work.

The one sour note, however, is that there aren't any likeable characters in the film as such. Whilst Jason is simply a man who is betrayed by his girlfriend and in part seeks to find a better life, there is little else to feel towards him. Sophie on the other hand carries herself in such a manner that it is incredibly to like anything about her, let alone the man she ends up sleeping with.

6/10

Hiatus? Nah....

Since the 22nd August 2011, a fair bit has happened.

One of my favourite Uni-bands have gone on what they have referred to as a hiatus. Innerpartysystem have basically split up, so I decided to buy their last EP and shirt as a means of remembrance.

In more relevant news, I have watched about ten films in that time. Most of them average, the most enjoyable probably being Horrible Bosses, featuring everyone's favourite alcoholic Charlie Day (of It's Always Sunny fame) and everyone's favourite everydayman, Jason Bateman.

In this time, I also finished season 5 of The Shield, finished season 4 of Breaking Bad, and finished season 1 of Six Feet Under.

Breaking Bad started off very slowly and painfully for me, but as the show has progressed, it has matured, refined itself and the storylines have become more succinct and stylish. There are certainly elements of The Sopranos' latter seasons to it, and that is always welcome. The season 4 finale, having aired this past Sunday, was rather impressive.

Season 5 of The Shield, I'm not ashamed to say, had me on the edge. This is a spoiler. Curtis Lemansky, my favourite character in the show, died. Teetering on the edge of being fired, imprisoned and/or killed, he is put out of his misery by Strike Team friend Shane, in what I would considered from the most emotional scenes in a TV show I have ever seen. Fun times.

Six Feet Under is an unusual kettle of fish. Mixing black comedy, hallucinations and bizarre segments all round, the show certainly likes to blur the boundaries of reality and meta-television. However, the show achieves a level of quality and of emotional connection which few other TV dramas quite manage. Constantly calling into question the value of life, the impact of death and the importance of family, the show alludes to all the traditional clichés but manages to utilise its small cast to brilliant effect in showcasing exactly how to squeeze every last bit of polish out of a close-knit family. Having bought the boxset, I was always committed to the cause anyway, but I'm glad the show has turned out the way it has.

Until I next decide to write down my mundane thoughts...

Dan in Real Life

Following the death of his loving wife, Dan Burns (Steve Carrel) is a single father left to raise his three daughters as best he can. Naturally, his parenting skills are lacking, and whilst he does the best he can, he cannot shake off the angst and hurt his wife’s death has caused him.

When, one day, he meets a stranger in Marie (Juliette) in a remote book shop close to his family home, he believes he has finally found that special person worthy enough to take the place of his wife. However, as (bad) luck would have it, she is already seeing Dan’s brother, Mitch (Dane Cook), and life just seems to get worse for him, as he’s forced to spend a family weekend with her.

What should be a fairly straightforward rom com, is infact a superbly realised commentary on the pain, emotions and sense of loss which accompany the death of a loved one, let alone one’s wife. The thing that puzzled me about the film when first watching it was that the director apparently came out and stated that this is in fact a romantic comedy, and sure enough the trailer tries to make you think it is.

However, to call this a run of the mill rom com is doing it a massive disservice. Carrel provides a magnificent performance, something he is not a stranger to, having blended drama and comedy to brilliant effect in The Office, and really showcasing the abilities which make him one of the best performers in Hollywood. Binoche is suitably gorgeous as well, it must be said, bringing to the table a wonderfully confused but oh so French innocence to the role.

When the amazingly beautiful Emily Blunt is brought into the story as a piece of bait for Dan, she lights up the screen with her natural looks and pearlescent eyes. If there’s any criticism of the film, it’s that she doesn’t feature enough, though one could suggest that this is down to the very idea of her as the elusive female, the stunning and mysterious figure who provides the charm but never really ends up being the star of the piece.

Without waffling on any further, it should be stated that Dan in Real Life is not a by the numbers film in any way, shape or form. It’s a film that deals with heartbreak, but doesn’t patronise. The ensemble cast does a decent job, but no one outside of the main three or four really delivers anything approaching a notable performance. Regardless, this is a film which seemingly slipped the mainstream net, and deserves recognition.

8/10

Eden Lake

I don't normally choose to watch British films anymore. Not only do I find the locations dull and too familiar, I also find that British acting, on the whole, is pretty laughable. The cockney efforts found all too often in Gangster films are embarrassing, rom coms are full of Hugh Grant-esque stutters and cheesy nods to the Royal Family, and we just can't do horror well.

It was only by sheer luck then, that I came across Eden Lake, a film I mistakenly believed was set in North America, for some bizarre reason. Playing one of its leads was Michael Fassbender, whose work I had already sampled in Fish Tank, a grim tale wherein he has sex with an underage girl. He wasn't anything other than good, so I could see no harm in going further.

The film itself involves a quite couple who try and spend a romantic couple of days together in a nearby abandoned - and closed off - piece of beach. Upon arrival and during the previous day, they encounter a group of troubled and mischievous youths who have nothing better to do. As the film moves on, this couple soon find themselves being preyed upon by the teenagers whose only motivations seems to be to harm this couple, who accidentally kill their dog in the early chapter.

What ensues is a chaotic game of cat and mouse, as Jenny (Kelly Reilly) and Steve (Fassbender) find themselves at the mercy of a now vengeful gang, lead by a brutal and bloodthirsty Brett (Michael O'Connell, of Skins fame). For the remainder of the 85-minute film, the once-innocent couple are robbed, hounded and tortured as they try to escape for their lives.

The film essentially relies on, at the very most, three incredible performances, and manages to send shivers down the spines of those who watch it. I've seen my fair share of horror films and torture scenes in my time, but somehow Eden Lake manages to pluck emotion from almost every scene, as the audience wills on the plucky couple who are being terrorised by a group of teens who know nothing better and will seemingly stop at nothing.

Perhaps what is even more terrifying is the film's ending, the part of horror films where it is assumed the protagonist is guaranteed to find safety. Not here, and what takes place in the final moments is perhaps more harrowing than the hour and twenty minutes which precede them.

A suspense-driven 'horror' which extrapolates as much heart-racing emotion and panic from its willing audience as the victims themselves. A must-see, and a surprisingly credible British flick.

9/10

It's been a while...

It's been almost three months since my last blog entry, and a fair bit has happened in that time, so where better to start than the beginning, eh?

My first thoughts were to do a round-up of the various TV programmes I have watched in that time, what with the US network season coming to an end in May, and only a few cable shows beginning shortly afterwards.

With The Office coming to the end of its seventh season, we saw Steve Carell abdicate the throne as Michael Scott. Whilst the show has faced a stormy front over the past three seasons, it is no doubt that it is being laid out to die, the next season surely being the last of its overly long run. Fans of the show will look to seasons 2 through 5 as being excellently written, so it's a shame that the network felt the need to flog a once well-executed show until it was on its last hind leg.

Another show whose glory days are behind it, is CSI: Las Vegas. The show that started it all, way back in 2000. With Gil Grissom at the helm, the show was once the most watched television programme in the world, however with the departure of its key characters, a feeling of general fatigue, and, quite frankly, a rather lacking set of remaining characters, the show feels like a shell of its former self. With Catherine reportedly leaving the show very soon, I give the show another season before a widely-rumoured film closes out what was once a superb and much-admired masterpiece in weekly entertainment.

One show which has had a positive effect of me of late has been Parks and Recreation, a comedy which I reviewed season 1 of several months ago, and vented my general lack of enjoyment of. It felt like a stale rip-off of The Office, and at times still echoes those sentiments but thanks to the excellent Ron Swanson and an embarrassing crush on Rashida Jones, I managed to work my way through seasons 2 and 3 of the show within the space of about two weeks.

Speaking of cable shows, Weeds season 7 started three weeks ago, and with a change of location, as well as perhaps being the last season of what has quite frankly been a brilliant show, it looks set to end on a high! (Pun intended).

Another cable show making its return is Curb Your Enthusiasm, which should be airing right about now in the US. Again, the show makes a move to New York and which Ricky Gervais in a starring role, the new season should be just as good as the rest.

Now, to return to the very purpose of this blog entry, namely film reviews.



There has only been one film from the last few months to really capture my attention and make me recommend it to others afterwards. That film is Love and Other Drugs. Taking the title at face value, it sounds like a very dull romantic comedy. Thankfully, looks deceive, and herein lies a very well realised and deceptive hybrid of a film. One which manages to handle the delicate matter of suffering from Parkinson's, as well as handling the fraught nature of one night standards, having casual flings, the raw heartache of losing relationships to launching careers, and the very real matter of facing a life obstructed by life-long afflictions.

Starring Jake Gyllenhaal (Donnie Darko) and Anne Hathaway (The Devil Wears Prada), the film details the shallow and manipulative nature of pharmaceutical representatives, who must wear their careers on their sleeve and do what they can to get their products noticed, regardless of ethics.

When Jamie (Gyllenhaal) suddenly finds a more intriguing interest in Maggie (Hathaway), he does whatever he can in order to spend time with her, only to find that she is essentially as calculated, shallow and single-minded as him. Once they realise that sex is the only thing either of them want, it is soon revealed that Maggie suffers from Parkinson's, the very affliction which has left her living a sheltered life, rejecting all forms of social interaction and relationships.

Whilst on paper, the film sounds like a damp squib, two wonderful performances from the leads present an insight (somewhat fluffed up by the Hollywood framework, admittedly) into just what mental and physical ailments can do to a relationship that seems so perfect. The film contains its flaws, without a doubt, but the film really excels in that the on-screen partnership is so damn watchable that you'll keep your eyes glued to the screen just to see what they do throughout. There are cliches, sure. Songs are played at just the wrong moments, to reinforce the notion that is it indeed some form of rom-com. The dialogue is, in places, utterly sickening, but look past these superficial imperfections and you'll find a film which takes a serious matter, dresses it up with a sexually appealing couple and has the audience wanting more.

8/10

Scream 4 Review

When Wes Craven launched the 'Nightmare on Elm Street' franchise in 1984, he exposed one of man's biggest fears. The seemingly vulnerable and defensiveless state of subconscious, a parallel universe where we knew that anything we had nightmares about could never come true because it was all our head.

Craven unleased the brutal and visceral Freddy Kreuger, a demonic bladed creature who took advantage of people while they slept and ripped them apart. Over the next decade, horror films would come and go, and the slasher genre would find itself petering out, as many pretenders would try and fail to reignite a genre which once stood at the top of the horror-movie mount, but which had taken a sharp downfall.

In 1996, Craven burst onto the scene again with Scream. A film which openly mocked the clichéd nature of the slasher genre, but used the high school environment and students as a vehicle for parody and deviant behaviour, essentially taking the very idea of sensationalism as a so-called cause of teenage violence, and stirring that pot even further. The film's characters would directly allude to other horror films (Halloween, Friday the 13th etc) in describing the very means of escaping the wrath of a serial killer. Scream would play up the typical stereotypes of the genre; the blonde big-boobed cheerleader type being mutilated, the sexualised and promiscuous characters being killed off purely for their 'in-pure' behaviour. The nerd would essentially describe how each character would die and be a victim himself.

Whilst Scream was a blockbuster hit, and its sequel proved just as big, brutal and stylishly cool, the third entry in the franchise produced little more than a wimper, as the story twists evoked nothing more than an apathetic response from audiences and the reasoning behind the savage murders become even more predictable and ridiculous.

11 years later, Scream 4 comes out with the tagline: New Decade, New rules. Naturally, those who felt they missed out on the big-screen antics of the trilogy the first time round will jump at the idea of being able to witness another Scream outing upon release.

Those of a certain age, however, may feel that every ounce of innovation and substance has been squeezed out of what was once a fresh and unpredictable (despite its own commentary being the clichéd nature of the genre) IP. They may feel jaded at the prospect of what could well be yet another cash cow.

The film's opening scenes essentially established the outline for the movie, and did so with an unusual tone. The film starts with what looks like a re-dressed opening of Scream 1, only with two characters instead of the Drew Barrymore type. As the film continues, it becomes apparent that we are infact watching one of the many indentikit sequels in the Stab franchise, an intended off-shoot of the 'real-life' events which take place in Scream 1 and which are directly referenced and shown in Scream 2. This tongue-in-cheek play up of the banal and shallow nature of sequels is extended further when we realise that the characters in Stab 6, 7 and 8 are all watching clips from their predecessor in a very weird and disorientating move. This continues until the audience is finally introduced to the current-day 'Scream' universe, wherein two teenagers are watching Stab 8 but actually fall victim to Mr Ghostface himself, and the film finally 'begins'.

The usual suspects are indeed back for Scream 4; Courteney Cox returns as Gale Weathers-Riiley, Neve Campbell as Sydney Prescott, and David Arquette as Dewey Riley. Up and coming actresses are called upon to play new characters, Alison Brie (Community, Mad Men) stars as Sydney's bitchy publicist, Emma Roberts as Jill Roberts, Sydney's cousin, and Hayden Panettiere as Kirby Reed, a friend of the Jills.

The film starts off documenting Sydney's new book, Out of Darkness, a tale of how she has survived the torment inflicted on her by the last decade or so of her painful experiences, as depicted in the trilogy. However, as we soon find out, things are about to get a whole lot worse...

The main problem with Scream 4 lies with the fact that whilst the film openly reiterates the rules of the horror genre and almost mocks the inane and simplistic framework of the first three films, here it feels like everything is far too straightforward. Victims-to-be will openly admit that they could well be dead within moments of uttering lines they saw in Stab, characters summarise the structure of the Stab movies throughout the film, further belittling the impact of the first film, and as a whole the product feels even more tongue-in-cheek than the original.

The biggest flaw is that the film doesn't take itself too seriously, and while many would argue that this is a positive aspect, the film takes a very 'Scary Movie' approach. It feels cheap, and although it's probably a better film than its predecessor in Scream 4, it just never looks like it hoped it emulate the impact or quality of the original. Which is a shame.

6/10

Films to avoid

In my years as a film watcher and reviewer, I have seem some dross. Some utter dross. The last two films I've seen qualify for this category.

Both seemed fairly decent on the outside, with actors who had won accolades and had amostly decent track record. Both, however, revolve around a love interest story arc, and this is where they seemed to fall down.

Morning Glory, starring Rachel McAdams and Harrison Ford, is about a young woman who is made the new executive producer of an American Breakfast show named Daybreak (nothing to do with the equally awful real-life UK counterpart) and finds herself at constant loggerhead with the news anchor whom she wishes to make the star of the show. Sadly, there is nothing of any interest within the film for anyone to invest in, or even casually enjoy. The acting is woeful, the dialogue is corny and unoriginal, and the ending is spectacularly bland.

How Do You know stars Jack Nicholson, Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd and Owen Wilson. Last name aside, that's a fairly decent cast by anyone's standards. However, the film is a mish-mash of predictable rom-com and a seemingly serious attempt at a business side-story. One which never really gets taken seriously. The film contains clichés left, right and centre, and never feels like a fluid or coherent piece of work. To top it all off, the budget was pathetically big. $120 million. A shambles of a film, and a budget to match.

Avoid.

Blue Valentine

Starring Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling, Blue Valentine documents the rocky beginning, middle and collapse of a relationship founded upon abuse, spontaneity and clumsy 'romanticism'.

Presented in a fragmented fashion, much like 500 Days of Summer, the film presents the highs and lows of this chaotic and often out-of-sync romance, one which never feels natural or welcomed by either party.

The use of the colour blue is rather novel, as it clinically demonstrates the somewhat forced and loveless nature of a relationship which always feels as it could implode at any minute.

Both Williams and Gosling are wonderful in pulling off traumatised and often helpless warriors, and the film conveys the brutal realism of many a real-life marriage with aplomb. However, the film does lack a cutting edge and, perhaps intentionally, it does come across as being rather bland.

Whilst one would expect a great deal from this on-screen pairing, you can't help but feel letdown. A reflection of the story's marriage, perhaps.

6/10

28 Days Later

Set in the aftermath of a zombie outbreak in London, 28 Days Later stars Cillian Murphy in his breakthrough role.

Where the film excels is in its excellent cinematography. Wide-shots of an empty, destitute London (compared to its typical state of chaos throughout the working week), and of Britain's countryside really help create an image of a post-apocalyptic nation, filled only with half-living soulless creatures, devoid of emotions or understanding.

The rest of the film, however, fails to deliver. Whilst there are certainly moments of tension and horror which are well executed with the use of shadows, poor lighting and bland environments, latter scenes feel very poorly devised, especially those within the camp. Whereas you can understand the feeling of frustration (mentally and sexually) that would seep through the minds of those holed up in such a place, the writing herein just doesn't feel natural in the context of the film as a whole. Though maybe that was director's (Danny Boyle) intention.

28 Days Later is an assortment of middling acting performances, wonderful cinematography and a set of ideas which for my liking are only partly successful.

6/10

Little Miss Sunshine

A fun, Saturday afternoon time-waster, Little Miss Sunshine doesn't break any barriers nor does it do anything that hasn't been attempted before.

With Greg Kinnear, Toni Colette and Steve Carrell on-board, you have a vibrant and experienced main cast, supported by Alan Arkin and a natural young actress in Abigail Breslin, who is wonderfully relaxed and refreshing amongst a mostly adult cast.

As the 'family' attempt to make their way to the Little Miss Sunshine Beauty pageant in time to enter their youngest, they suffer heartache, vehicle problems and other nuisances, all the way trying to face their own individual flaws.

There's nothing much to praise, other than the film's relaxed approach with its shot selection and dialogue, which never feels forced or out of place. It's an Indie film which knows its limitations but doesn't try to do anything outlandish and as such just feels 'right'. Though how Alan Arkin received the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor is totally beyond me.

7/10

Carlito's Way

Set in the wild 1980s of Miami, an era defined by nightclubs and the influx of cocaine onto America's shored, Carlito's Way let's us in on the adventure of Charlie 'Carlito' Brigante and his lawyer friend David Kleinfeld, played by Al Pacino and Sean Penn respectively.

The film begins with Charlie's release from court, due to the opposition case failing due to dodgy evidence. Though he tries to leave his past behind him and escape the shackles of his criminal legacy, he soon finds himself in trouble once again. In order for him to 'be even' with Dave, he agrees to help him with an ill-fated boat rescue which soon ends in disaster. In order to vanish his problems, Charlie must find a way of escaping his demons without meeting his maker.

Sean Penn is wonderfully relaxed as Dave, and Pacino excels as Charlie, a man who knows what he needs to do to escape his troubled past, but also realises the limitations of any life he chooses. Penelope Ann Miller features as Charlie's girlfriend Gail, the woman who fell through his fingers once he fell in with the law, only to re-embrace as the two dream of a future together far away from Miami's golden shores.

The film is intriguing and entertaining from start to finish, an unusual and welcome quality of any piece of cinema. The vibrant score helps keep the film running along at a leisurely pace, whilst also perfectly complementing the magical interior scenes within the nightclub (which later inspired the Malibu club of Vice City fame). With a chase sequence which will have hearts racing, and a breathtaking finale, this is a film which never tries too hard but excels at simply being very fun to watch.

9/10

Raging Bull

Exploring the rise and fall of Italian-American boxer Jake La Motta, Robert De Niro stars in this intriguing and full-on re-telling of the man’s life. Much like La Motta’s career, the film starts off well and full of promise, until it succumbs to the weight of expectation and an over-zealous sense of complacency.

De Niro stars alongside Joe Pesci (Goodfellas, Home Alone), who once again shines in a role which requires aggression, wit and a brilliant intensity almost unrivalled in Hollywood. Lighting, sound and choice of shots throughout the various bouts really bring to attention the dramatic and physical nature of the enthralling encounters throughout La Motta’s career. Full-blooded fights are detailed in grim nature, and the torment endured is clear for the audience to see, with De Niro really taking on the role exceptionally well.

The real problems appear as La Motta is charged with improper conduct and is later jailed for indecent activity. His behaviour is well conveyed as he begins to lose the will to live, becoming frustrated with a life in which he is hated by so many. De Niro’s commitment to putting on weight for the role clearly reinforces his ability to undertake the horrific processes experienced by La Motta, a man who knew his career was over but needed to remain within the spotlight. The film does begin to waiver by this point and it suffers as such, as character development is less focussed upon, though as a reflection of La Motta’s life, the latter sections feel unnatural and scenes feel rough around the edges.

Taken as a whole, the film is very much a mixture of brilliance, but also bitty and less riveting as the latter stages move into view. De Niro and Pesci’s performances, however, are exceptional and the film is able to shake off the low points, and really packs a punch when it really matters.

8/10

Platoon

With devastating effects, and an undoubtedly grim approach to the war in Vietnam, Platoon takes a close-up look at the politically-catastrophic, and pathologically insane, attempt to take control of an unsafe and frenzied foreign territory.

Charlie Sheen stands out as the mentally scarred and unprepared rookie soldier, but a strong cast is able to flesh out what is a largely placid film. Whilst the film was no doubt a huge film in its day, it is hard to truly invest in any of the film’s characters, a major flaw within cinema. Although the film does portray the spontaneous, gritty and manic nature of war, it never really hits home in the way it should.

7/10

It's Kind of a Funny Story

Starring Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover, Due Date), and Keir Gilchrist, It's Kind of a Funny Story merges the drama of teenage romance with the spurious nature of depression. When Craig (Gilchrist) checks himself into a psychiatric ward after feeling suicidal tendencies, and meets Bobby (Galifianakis), he soon realises that life really is worth living especially if you can connect with others and seek rewarding relationships.

While the film handles the issues of depression and psychological deficiencies well in the first period, the manner in which it slowly turns into a teenage fest, complete with slushy romantic elements, suddenly results in a film which loses all momentum and ultimately ends itself as a credible and enjoyable fare.

Galifianakis shines through as the only genuine performer in this hit-and-miss piece, demonstrating both the ability to be comical, touching and disturbed within the same character. Gilchrist on the other hand, is severely lacking in every sense. Whilst only seemingly able to express one emotion - nonplussed - and somewhat of a personality vacuum, he is unable to carry the film and leaves the role feeling somewhat inadequate. Combine this with the predictable and inevitably queasy nature of the film's final moments and the what could have been a fun and touching piece of cinema turns into a generic and severely lacking piece of background noise. Not even Zach 'The Beard' Galifianakis, who is emerging as a real talent, can save this.

6/10

Happythankyoumoreplease: Review

Starring Josh Radnor (How I Met Your Mother) and Tony Hale (Arrested Development), Happythankyoumoreplease is another Indie darling and recipient of a Sundance award, documenting the lives of a close-knit group of group in New York City as they go about their lives, ranging from embarking upon new alien relationships to adopting new attitudes to life's challenges.

It follows Sam (Radnor) as he figuratively adopts a young foster child left on a subway train, and tries to care for him whilst attempting to prise inspiration from him for his novel, as well as trying to maintain a relationship with a troubled waitress. Elsewhere, two other storylines take place within the same group of friends; a relationship perhaps blossoming into something more serious, and a case of love at first sight.

The film never really picks up the pace, but that is the trademark of the Indie film. It trickles along at a leisurely pace, never veering too far into the lane of over the top action, always trying to stay in the avenue of realism but with that faint glimmer of hope.

Radnor is as likable (and occasionally, frustratingly, too fussy) as his regular role of Ted on How I Met Your Mother, though perhaps this is because he lacks variety as an actor. Either way, Happythankyoumoreplease is an inoffensive, and sometimes charming piece which rarely packs a punch and could be described as fairly pedestrian but it's simply a pleasant film and doesn't particularly suffer because of it.

7/10

The Kids Are All Right: Review

Having spotted that Annette Bening was nominated for an Oscar after her performance in this very film, I decided to sit down and find out for myself if the nomination was warranted. Meh.

The film sets out with a same-sex couple who have children from a donor father; who on the request of the daughter, decides to familiarise himself with all involved before she heads off to college. The film explores the ideas of unconventional family life, the challenges of sexual frustration, and coming to terms with life's disappointments.

Julianne Moore plays Jules, the partner of Nick (Bening), alongside Mark Ruffalo as the sperm donor Paul. The film does follow the familiar pattern found in the many Indie films that have emerged onto the Hollywood scene in recent years. A laissez-faire attitude to dialogue, choice of camera shots and a seemingly relaxed approach to the length of scenes allows the audience to appreciate the more natural and realistic bohemian attitude of the characters to shine through; for better or worse.

As tensions spring to the surface, and the film explores the more testing elements of adult life, Moore and Bening certainly prove their mettle, with some truly emphatic momentary performances at times. The only criticism of Bening's outing is that it bears too many similar features and characteristics to her showing in American Beauty, in which she played the frustrated suburban housewife perfectly. Whilst such a criticism is perhaps fussy and unnecessarily picky, it feels like it is almost literally carried over into this role, though no doubt it it is appropriate here as well.

With a soft spot for Moore, a woman whose natural beauty seems undiminished over the decades, there is very little to moan about with regards to her character, aside perhaps from the predictability of her character's subsequent actions and behaviour. The main problem with the latter stages of the film is that there are scenes some would consider unnecessary, and the pacing is offputting, with large chunks of frankly pointless shots and moments where dialogue could easily replace sections wherein it appears the director has favoured artistic style over character development or plot direction.

At the end of the day, The Kids Are All Right doesn't do too much wrong, but once the emotions have subsided, there is little else to admire.

7/10

The King's Speech

Whilst one would believe a film about a stammer to be uninteresting, Tom Hooper (The Damned United) somehow turns a rather odd and unusual premise into a film formed by two incredible individual performances.

Colin Firth stars as King George IV, who takes to the throne at Hitler's peak, upon realising that his brother is not fit for purpose. In order to deliver an awe-inspiring and morale-boosting speech to show defiance to the outside evils that are the Nazis, he has to take lessons in reducing the overwhelming hindrance that is his devastating stammer, formed in childhood and having accompanied him ever since.

Whilst the film itself is wonderfully shot, and features some veteran actors in Helena Bonham Carter and Derek Jacobi, the stand-out performers are of course Firth, and his 'teacher', one Geoffrey Rush. His full-bodied speeches, his absorbing lectures and his sheer presence on-screen make his character one the audience can emotionally invest in. Whilst the Oscar may go to Firth for what is an uncharacteristic performance, given that the roles he usually opts for ooze confidence and charisma, Rush is superb herein, and deserves any and all merit he receives for what is a real eye-opener.

8/10

The Haunting in Connecticut

One of the more telling aspects of a horror film is when one of its taglines is 'based on a true story'. Whilst many may squeal at the prospect of what they are about to see having actually happened, it doesn't fill me with intrigue.

The Haunting in Connecticut is based on the story of a family who move into a suburban house in Connecticut in the later 1980s, wherein a burial ground had been closed up. Naturally this should make for a great story; ghouls appearing from the ceilings and/or walls, hauntings driving the residents to despair, a few gory deaths here and there. That's how you would it would play out if this were a typical horror film. Sadly, it is indeed 'based on a true story', bringing to the forefront an array of limitations.

Unlike The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, loosely based on the infamous Ed Gein's exploits, this is an uninteresting horror film. Not only that, but the acting is also sub-par. Horrifically sub-par. You have your typical 'one minute there's a dark ghoul standing in a doorway, the next he's gone' moments. A fair few of these, I might add. To reinforce the craziness, the film's protagonists is mentally deficicient and suffers from twisted hallucinations. A bonus, you might think. But the constant use of these visions does nothing but create a stale and tiresome story thread.

When the piece de resistance finally comes together in the film's final scenes, the special effects on offer reiterate the b-movie feel of the piece. The film just doesn't ever find itself convincing anyone of its dark undertones, or ever provide enough scares to make the trip to the cinema (or price of DVD rental) anywhere near worth it.


The trailers looked promising, but the end result is a mish-mash of uninspired special effects, tired use of hallucinations as a means of scaring a no-doubt unthrilled audience, and a group of actors who deliver an incredibly underwhelming collective performance.

In short: avoid.

3/10

Buried

Effectively a one-man show, Buried takes us on a psychological and emotional journey as Ryan Reynolds fills out the role of Paul Conroy, a supplies driver in Iraq who is ambushed and buried in a makeshift coffin.

Throughout the film Conroy is subjected to emotional heartache as he watches his wife die via a video message, finds himself stuck with a dangerous snake, and struggles to deal with the intense claustrophobia and constant fear of impending death.

As much as the film may be criticised for featuring Conroy's Blackberry mobile phone too much, it acts as the only vehicle for communication and really provides a vital yet restricted link to the outside world. The standard features of phone are surprisingly effective in reinforcing the idea of losing hope and his grasp of the outside world slowly fading, as seen with the fading battery life, and him losing signal at various points. These small details can be seen as tongue in cheek but actually become incredibly indicative of the torment and lack of control Conroy has on his own future.

For a film consisting of a man trapped in a box for 90 minutes, Buried delivers an effective and engaging look into the human psyche and of the physical confines of entrapment. The ending is also wonderfully realised.

8/10

Dinner for Schmucks

Featuring Paul Rudd (I Love You, Man/ Friends) and Steve Carrell (Despicable Me, The Office), Dinner For Schmucks is essentially a film which explores the human condition in an extremely strange manner.

A remake of the 1988 film ' Le Diner des Cons', the premise is that a group of colleagues organise a dinner to which they each have to bring the biggest idiot they can find. The colleague who brings the biggest idiot is the winner.

When he accidentally almost runs over diorama creator Barry (Carrell), who nearly ruins his relationship with art designer Julie (Stephanie Szostak), and his business meeting with impressive Swiss tycoon (David Walliams), he decides to take him to the dinner as his idiot. Hilarity (or not) ensues as the idiots inadvertently outbid each other in their stupidity and nonsensical abilities.

The moral of the story, however, is that people are all special in one way or another, and to mock them for being 'abnormal' makes us as inhumane. Whilst the sentiments are mostly well articulated, the inclusion of Saturday Night Live-style non-humour and banal slapstick reduces the film to a low level, and almost ruins any real credence.

6/10

Devil

Written by M.Night Shymalan, Devil follows a story theme also chosen by Stephen King in a Creepshow short-story film. In that case, a group of people were selected and presented with their individual reasons for going to hell.

With each person, the audience was offered a glimpse into their lives to see why didn't deserve to ascend into heaven, and were subsequently thrown into hell, conveniently located in the next room.

In Devil, a group of presumably normal people all find themselves in the lift of a lavishly built corporate office block. When the lift breaks down, the individuals inside slowly but surely reveal themselves to be flawed. As the film goes on, the characters are all revealed to be criminals in some way, shape or form.

As the characters are killed one by one, the blame and suspicion baffles both the security guards watching on, in their CCTV buncker, and the individuals within the lift itself. As tensions reach the surface, the twist befalls the tragic criminals, and the moral of the story is played out, much to the audience's disappointment.

Whilst the film is the first in this genre I've seen emulating the devil in such a way, and choosing to stick so closely to that influence, and the latter stages of the film are fairly well acted, it never leaves b-movie territory and suffers for that. Featuring Christina Hendrick's incredibly lucky fiancé and The OC's Logan Marshall-Green (Ryan's brother), the film was always destined to be bargain-bin fodder but at least it's entertaining fodder.

Unless you're a fan of any of the actors involved, which seems highly unlikely, Devil is not exactly going to light your world. However, it is short and contains a fair few thrills and the odd moderate scare so it's not all bad.

6/10