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