Interstellar

A Film Completely Out of This World

Director: Christopher Nolan
Release Date: 2014
Rating: 12
Running Time: 180 mins
Genre: Sci-fi/ Drama
Actors: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine

"We use to look up at the sky and wonder about our place in the starts, now we just look down at the ground and worry about our place in the dirt."

I'll be honest, Interstellar is a hard film to talk about. There's no denying it's incredibly confusing and high complex stuff, but the real problem is, if you're talking to someone who hasn't seen it, there's so much you can't say in order to not give any of it away. I often say that if you're watching a film you haven't seen before, the best thing is to "go in blind". By this I mean, begin the film with absolutely no idea of what it's about besides perhaps the title, director and lead actors, maybe genre as well in case you're wondering if it's really going to be the one for you. Yet aside from that, by knowing nothing about the film, no twists or turns or anything that will sabotage the plot for you, you're guaranteed at least one surprise along the way. The problem is talking about films with huge spoilers, surprises or twists, you don't even want to know they exist in the film, because then they become anticipated and guessed to early on. Personally for me, if a person even mentions that a film has a BIG twist in it, then I will most likely hate them forever. It's one of the biggest pleasures I get from going to the movies and I'm sure I'm not the only one. Yes, some may say they hate twists and demand their money back for having just had the film "waste their time", but quite frankly, I don't see how they can say that. For me, you cannot beat a good surprise.

In the case of Nolan, you almost don't need to worry about spoilers..(almost!) because his films are just so god-damn complex and abstract. If you tried to explain the plot of Inception to someone, unless you're Nolan, you just won't be doing it justice. (Umm..it's basically about this dream in a dream inside another dream..and...they're trying to...) Let's face it, it's a hard film to get your head around, and it may even require several viewings to really understand, but it is absolutely incredible. (Only Nolan would think of having a city fold in on itself and bend the laws of physics in a way that we can still understand). I myself learnt the hard lesson that you cannot talk during a film, and in the case of a Nolan film, one word and you've missed something, even the tiniest detail and I was left bewildered and had to really pay hard attention to catch up with it all. It's been this way from the start, with Memento, we really saw a film you have to pay hard attention to (what with it going in a non-liniar, backwards order and everything) and Nolans genius was quickly unmasked. Now with the success he's had in the last decade and a half, and with the fresh success of his sci-fi epic, the man can probably approach any actor he pleases or any production company and will have a big sum of money pushed into his new project (so long as they don't mind working with Michael Caine that is).

So I should probably talk about Interstellar. But what can I say without ruining anything? It's not a love story, though maybe not a conventional Eros relationship we're use to. If it was any form of love it's a fathers love for his daughter (this applying to more than one character, but I'm giving too much away), the longing belief that the human race will survive like it always has done in the past, and the dream we all have, that one day we will find another play in the universe, not even in our galaxy, but somewhere out there, that we can find, explore and live. And once you get past the science (as there is a lot of it) that is the real raw drive behind this film. "Man was born on earth, but wasn't supposed to die here".

Although it wasn't all down to Nolan, as a completely non green screened film (so they're saying) the production team that worked on this film must've been incredible, and the time that would've gone into making even a mere few seconds of footage was most likely incredible. But for me, there were two genius' working on Interstellar. Nolan of course, but also the sheer talent that is Matthew McConaughey, and I think it's safe to say Hollywood has just banked it's new leading actor. Now I didn't know much about this man before last year when I saw him give his Oscar speech for Dallas Buyers Club, a film which at that point I had not seen. But what grabbed me about this guy was his charisma and clear love and appreciation of life, he just seemed like a genuine guy that had one hell of a story to tell. So I checked out the highly acclaimed film despite not knowing what it was about (I was expecting a film about southern race car driving, don't ask me why), and I was blown away. "This man can act", I thought. So after this I then set out watching his next project of True Detective, and for me, McConaughey was just exceptional, "This man is as cool as a cucumber". So expectations were high for Interstellar, and seeing him in the performance he gave, (one very different to what I'd seen him in before), he was incredible. The calm reassuring (Jimmy Stewart esc perhaps) protagonist we want to guiding us through. And now, there's surely no going back for this guy, I'd be surprised if I see him playing the guy who's in Tropic Thunder for 10 minutes any more, he's onto bigger things, and if Interstellar is anything to go by, the sky is definitely not the limit for him..(sorry I had to).

Despite being a film very dissimilar to what the director's made before, it was still incredibly Nolan-esc for so many reasons, both plot and actors, but because I don't want to talk about the plot too much I'll stick to the actors. Since Batman Begins in 2005, Michael Caine has appeared in all six of the following films Nolan directed up to now, making his mark as an official Nolan Veteran, and the actors not slipping, in Interstellar despite not embarking on the exposition alongside McConaughey and Anne Hathaway, he was one of the real stars in this film and I may have to leave it like that. Anne Hathaway also making her second appearance in a Nolan film after The Dark Knight Rises back in 2012, she herself becoming a very bankable actress alongside the other stars in this film (no pun intended). After already receiving an Oscar back in 2011 for Les Mis, it's looking like Hathaway may be heading for a second, and a very bright future indeed.

So how would I sum this film up, I suppose there really isn't only one way, but just a film that gives hope to the survival of humanity, shown in a completely awe inspiring and captivation way. If I had to sum it up in one particular way, I would refer to is as a modern and perhaps (controversially) a slightly polished 2001: A Space Odyssey, that even the everyday man can comprehend, just about. But like Kubricks masterpiece, this may well be Nolans, and rather than just a film, it's a sheer work of art. Total brilliance everyone should see.

10/10

The Trouble With Harry

A Typical Hitchcockian Comedy

Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Release Date: 1955
Rating: PG
Running Time: 95 mins
Genre: Comedy/ Romance/ Drama
Starring: John Forsythe, Shirley MacLaine, Edmund Gwenn, Mildred Natwick

"He looked exactly the same when he was alive only he was vertical"

The story of a dead body found, without evidence of how it got there, it's safe to say Harry causes a lot of trouble in this Hitchcock farce.

Hitchcock always has a way of playing with life and death. You'd imagine a film about a dead body found of the ground, everyone with a different idea of how it got there would make up quite the drama, you certainly wouldn't imagine it to be a light hearted comedy. Yet somehow Hitchcock was able to find a way of making this dark story in to a sweet, if not slightly quirky, tale filled with romance, friendships and the beauty of the little things in life.

When retired Captain Wiles (Gwenn) spends an early autumn morning hunting rabbit (despite all signs against shooting), he just about manages to fire at everything but, and in the process, consequently assumes he has shot a civilian, having found a body lying dead on the floor with a nasty head wound. It's not long before the Captain plans to bury the body so he's never found, but as if all at once, various villagers arrive at the scene, none seeming to especially mind or even notice the corpse lying stationary in front of them. With the help of an optimistic artist Sam (Forsythe), quirky young widow Jennifer (Maclaine) and  nervous Miss gravely (Natwick), the four set about burying then digging up the reburying the body named Harry throughout the day, still undecided as to how he really died or what to do with him.

Bernard Herman once again (like with many of Hitchcock's projects) provides a highly well crafted and enjoyable soundtrack to capture the humour, romance and tragedy in this film. Hitchcock, once again plays with his audience and creates such a farce throughout that by the end you wonder why the go to such lengths during. It's a very well thought out and crafted film, with multiple relationships created and mood changers, the film will keep you interested for the easily digestible hour and a half that it takes place. This, like all his other films are riddled with Hitchcockian stamps, fear of the police ("You're guilty until proven innocent" and "I'll get the jitters everytime I see a police car and there's no good saying I won't"), fear of falling in love, putting a spin on death, it's clear the man really did know what he was doing when he got behind a camera.

But for me, the real reason why I so loved this film is, I just enjoyed the characters. Edmund Gwenn portrayed a slightly cheesey, but very likeable and honest man. John Forsythe portrayed a loving, passionate artist who always thought different to everyone else and could appreciate the little things in life. And Shirley MacLaine made her début in this film, but straight away showed us all what she was capable of in front of a camera, acting so natural, right at home. it's a personal Hitchcock favourite of mine, so dialogue heavy that you could pick up little details after several viewings that help it remain so enjoyable.

A very sweet and slightly eccentric film, not one of his best known (though part of the five lost Hitchcock's, claimed to be his top films) but Hitchcock himself claimed that The Trouble With Harry was one of his favourites to work on and watch back. Certainly, if you're a fan of the director, it's worth giving a watch.

7/10

Gone Girl

Fincher's Latest Mindf*ck Is Under Way

Director: David Fincher
Release Date: 2014
Rating: 18
Running Time: 140 mins
Genre: Mystery/Drama
Starring: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Carrie Coon, Tyler Perry, Neil Patrick Harris

"Nick Dunne, you're probably the most hated man in America right now. Did you kill your wife Nick?"

If you could name one director that loves to see how much can he get away with on screen through misdirection, deciet and shocking twists and turns, then David Fincher is most likely your man. He's a man best know for toying with the audience and infamously causing them such sock surprises that it will be hard for them to have anything else stuck on their mind for the rest of the day. If there was a list of contemporary Hitchcockian directors that have taken the reigns from the late great director, Finchers name would comfortably be sitting pretty high up. I doubt there's anyone who could really spot the details that the director left nestled into Fight Club, Se7en or The Game, (three very highly regarded films that will probably mess your head up worse than a bottle of whisky) but I doubt anyone would be able to anticipate their endings, and if anyone did they would be just be lying.

So what was it about Gone Girl that lured Fincher in? After the huge success of the 2012 novel, it was not going to be long before a director would snatch up the opportunity to capture the incredible story on screen, and lets face it, who could've possibly done a better job (except maybe Nolan). This incredible battle of the sexes should read, packaged for boys and girls, (although maybe not one boys and girls should watch together). It has something for everyone, and so many alternating readings can be taken from it. It's one of those illusive (if not sometimes annoying) films where there's no truly right or wrong answer, but it just is what it is, and what it is is pretty incredible.

There are two main protagonists in this film, Nick (Affleck) and Amy (Pike) Dunne, a married couple of five years who are just about to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary. Only trouble is, when Nick returns home after a morning of drifting around, his wife is no where to be seen, and it's not long before Nick is wound up in a web of conspiracies about the disappearance of his wife. With only his sister (Carrie Coon) and wonder lawyer (Tyler Perry) by his side, Nick has to really go all out in the hope his wife will return home and his name will be cleared. Set with flashback versus read by Amy from her diary, she establishes the couple's relationship and the lead up to her disappearance, just enough so that we are on the edge of our seats but without a clue of where she ended up. It's a film that constantly manipulates and changes our opinions of all the characters, so much so we really don't know who to suspect, believe or support. 'First they hate me, now they love me...' is a particularly strong line said by Nick as he manages to win over the people that were immediately accusing him, but should we love him? It's an answer we'll never really know at this point, and we the audience are placed in the exact same mind frame as the thousands of suspecting bystanders throughout the film.

So it's fair to say that with Gone Girl Fincher hasn't changed his style massively with well and truly screwing with his audiences minds, but I'm certainly glad he did because it made for such an incredible film. It's not one of those easy watching films, it does take some concentrating, but we are not lead through the film with a clear view of what may happen, you'll really have no idea. The way that we are manipulated and played with throughout leads for a fascinating two and a half hours that the film takes place in.

However, the credit cannot all go to Fincher, Gillian Flynn deserves to be mentioned as the author of this awesome story that's now flying off the shelves. And of course the acting in this is terrific, Rosamund Pike has established herself now as a highly talented actor pulling off such a complex character, and Ben Affleck has most likely now had hundreds forgive him for Daredevil (although personally I never really had a problem with that film), and maybe now people will look forward to seeing him squeeze into the bat-suit (after loosing a few pounds perhaps). Although for the assisting roles such as Carrie Coon, she too was able to carry the role of a complex character, and as for Tyler Perry, in a way for me, he stole the second half of the film. Everyone was good in this film, although I may never see Barney in How I Met Your Mother the same now due to Neil Patrick Harris' dark sinister ex-boyfriend character: Desi Collings, another character we don't know whether to like or dislike.

I hope that we're going to see more from Fincher, I don't think it's unfair to say he dropped a bit in the 00's after an incredible run in the 90's, but lets hope he's back with plenty more up his sleeve. A truly fascinating film.

9/10

'71

Jack O'Connell Turns Rambo

Director: Yann Demange
Release Date: 2014
Rating: 15
Running Time: 95 mins
Genre: War/Action/Drama
Starring: Jack O'Connell, Sean Harris, Sam Reid

"I won't even be out of the country"

I think it's fair to say we give a lot of credit to the big films, the ones that churn the big bucks and fill every seat in the cinema for the month or so that the film is out on the big screen for. We spend our times watching either the films that are going on to win the Academy Awards, The BAFTAs, The Golden Globes or in other cases the complete trash that's only out because it has that one funny actor in it and they can afford to push their film to success, no matter how awful. But there's no denying that us Brits have managed to produce some unforgettable independent films, some that have in fact gone on to win awards, like The Kings Speech, but also some that just didn't get the publicity they deserved. I suppose these days its fair to think that the best gritty British films that are being released are films like Essex Boys and some of those gangster films that seemingly try and compete with the likes of Lock Stock or Snatch. Yet credit where credits due to Film 4's production companies, they've made some pretty exceptional films in recent years. In the case of '71, this is no different. It's one that has ultimately verified my love for Film 4 and proves that we know what we're doing behind a camera. '71 is a film that depicts recent British History in a way that can still hold it's own as a wholly original and compelling film that undoubtedly will fill up seats and be well received by audiences.

We are introduced to Jack O'Connell, who in quick succession of his last big screen project, returns to our screens, this time as a young private thrown into the IRA war between the Protestants and the Catholics in Belfast. The hope being that the British may be able to save the Irish from any more bloodshed and rioting that had been going on prior for far too long on the undeniably violent and dangerous streets of Northern Ireland in 1971. During the height of all the fighting, Private Gary Hook (O'Connell) is separated from his squad and has to stand alone to find his way back to his units base after a riot lands him on the brink of death and away from any friends he may have had. Left on the run from two particularly angry IRA boys prepared to do whatever it takes to find him, (after one of the most fantastic chase scenes I've ever witnessed) we find our hero ditch the soldier and turn into a young Brit Rambo as he fights not only to get home but just to survive the night.

It's not necessarily a film that shows the Catholics or the Protestants to be the villains nor the Brits for that matter, and it could be interpreted as a fairly unbiased film due to their being mistrust and hate filled on both sides. It not only highlights the danger that existed and still goes on today, but also highlights the crookedness and the corruption of war. I doubt it will go on to offend anyone as this is clearly not the intention of the film, it's just a story that's worth telling, and furthermore needs telling.

The are some unbelievable scenes that fill out the film, with some unbelievable cinematography, (I am a sucker for a long period tracking shot). Yet all this incredible talent came from a director credited for being involved with UK TV dramas; The Secret Diary of a call girl, Dead Set and more recently Top Boy. Hopefully there's more to see from this director as he seems to know exactly what he's doing behind a camera. The acting as well in this was brilliant, particularly from the young Irish boys that were cast, making for the perfect and detestable villains/freedom fighters...villains.  After only 6 months of being off screen, since the hard-hitting brutal prison drama Starred Up, O'Connell returns in a more diverse role to ones he's been seen as previously in other projects like Harry Brown or Skins. It could be said that Gary Hook has a certain innocence to him that O'Connells previous alter egos haven't possessed and there's no denying that this time, he's a character we can really get behind and hope will come out on top, though in the circumstances he faces in the day that the action takes place in, it becomes more and more unlikely that we will see our hero succeed. Although this isn't the last we'll see of O'Connell this year as he'll be returning at the end of 2014 in  Angelina Jolie's next directorial film Unbroken and hopefully he'll just keep getting better.

I've seen a few newly released films this year, but '71 exceeded expectations (perhaps a reason why I have praised it so highly), it is definitely sitting as one of the best I've seen so far and I imagine it may stay there a good while longer. A true masterpiece, certainly worth a watch,

8/10

Sex Tape

The Film They Didn't Want Their Kids Seeing

Director: Jake Kasdan
Release Date: 2014
Rating: 15
Running Time: 90 mins
Genre: Comedy
Actors: Jason Segal, Cameron Diaz, Jack Black

"What did you guys do, make a sex tape?"

If you liked Bad Teacher, then you'll probably be curious to see what Jake Kasdan's new instalment Sex Tape has to offer in this "could be but isn't" sequel. Again Jason Segal plays his lovable self who, like in most of his films, can't resist getting his kit off for the cameras, but who doesn't love seeing Jason without a shirt cracking jokes. Cameron Diaz on the other hand, proves that she's still got it and still despite being around a while still isn't showing her age scoring her stamp as a cougar.

When college sweethearts Annie (Diaz) and Jay (Segal) settle into married life and raising children, they began to see the flare of their once passionate youth fade away with the stress of work piling on. Answer to their "dry spell", make a sex tape. But when the tape falls into the wrong hands, the new actors must go to rather extreme lengths in the hope of retrieving their stolen home video before its too late. With the help of their two friends Robby and Tess, a couple around the same stage of life as Jay and Annie, they try to track down and find all the people who may have unwillingly gotten their hands on the infamous sex tape (although in no part of this film do we see an actual tape).

You wonder where a film like Sex Tape can really go after a while and it did begin to feel like the strongish first half was being let down by cheap cracks (no pun intended) in the latter. Having heard the film wasn't doing particularly well, I was eager to check it out given how much I enjoyed Bad Teacher and Jason's projects (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, The Five Year Engagement) and I've got to be honest, it did meet expectations. It was funny and did manage to make me laugh, but the story was week and the comedy began to drop to a level that wasn't up to the standards we're use to see from the two rather funny actors. It did make me wonder if there was an ulterior motive for the Segal and Diaz, what with How I Met Your Mother finishing giving Segal a window to get back out there in some new projects, and perhaps Diaz wanted to prove that she's still as fiery as she was when she sung her way onto our screens in The Mask.

Whatever it was, I wouldn't say it was a bad film, but just one that could've had more to it than it's simple plot line. It would've been good to see more of a confrontation at the end, and I really hate that Jason Segal had to seccum to slapstick comedy as a way of getting laughs. However, Jack black managed to save it with his hilarious cameo and after everything that goes on, the film at the core is actually very sweet. Not the funniest comedy of the year, but still had a few laughs watching it.

2/5

Escape from Alcatraz

The Most Daring "Escape" On Record

Director: Don Siegel
Release Date: 1979
Rating: 15
Running Time: 100 mins
Genre: Drama/Biopic
Actors: Clint Eastwood, Larry Hankin, Patrick Magoohan, Roberts Blossom

"No one has ever escaped from Alcatraz prison, and no one ever will."

The intriguing mystery of three men's daring escape from Alcatraz prison in San Francisco in 1962 whereby we see them plan, and attempt a possibly successful breakout. Still to this day it remains a mystery however, if they were able to survive the tide and life on the outside of Alcatraz' Walls as nothing was found of them after their escape. Though first described as an impenetrable and inescapabe prison, the three men prove that with enough determination and time, they would succeed in a breakout, but with the prison's island situated far from the shores of San Francisco Bay.

Clint Eastwood stars as the dramatised prisoner Frank Morris, a man who was sent to the inescapable Alcatraz after escaping all previous prisons he'd been put in. However, it doesn't take five minutes before Frank's planning his next break out and it's not long before others decide to try and get a taste of freedom. With the help of three other inmates, Morris leads the incredibly difficult, low chance escape that only three of them were able to achieve.

This claustrophobic film will have you gripped as you see the cunning and crafty initiatives of these men unravel and they claw at the slim chance of getting out. There's high tension as you see them against all odds, attempt their escape, right up to it's haunting climax of the three successful escapists swimming to freedom across the dark water's strong currents and tides. Although no real evidence of the prisoners surviving was recorded, it's an incredible story and creates a very ghostly feel to the ending. There are many conspiracies and alternative ideas to what went on post-escape, but not knowing adds to the mystery of the Alcatraz escape.

A fantastic prison drama that provides thrills and tension throughout. The Shawshank Redemption meets The Great Escape.

7/10

The Seventh Seal

Death Can't Be Cheated, But Can He Be Beaten?

"Antonios: You'll be black, I'll be white. 
       Death: Seems fitting doesn't it..."

Ingmar Bergman portrays a tale of bleak hope and the test of faith in this Sweedish drama of life and death set during the plague of the dark ages in Europe. When tiring knight Antonios Block and his squire return home from the crusades, he is faced by death himself. Rather than surrender his life so easily, he instead wagers his fate by the outcome of a game of chess. By doing this Antonious is made to use all his knowledge and faith to try and avoid joining the numbers that are rising during this dark time.

Though mainly releasing comedies and more light-hearted films throughout his career, Bergman  instead chooses to focus on a bleaker time in this drama and asks the question, can anyone actually beat and overcome death? The film overall depicts a barbaric time where people clutched onto fate as one only real chance of hope, in one scene in particular, a woman is being burnt for she is believed to be a witch, but it's clear that all she really is, is afraid. I was quite surprised about what this film was actually about when I came to watch it. I thought the main chunk of the film would be the game of chess between Antonios and death, but it was more a representation of people's morals and ethics during the time. The married actors and their newborn baby struggling to find peace and respect. The love triangle of adultery and promiscuity, and of course the tormented knights returning out of the frying pan into the fire. The film really hones in on these characters and focusses the plot around all of them banding together in search of refuge against the plague. Death, despite being a key character, only features a handful of times whereby he and Antonios would continue their game (thus taking the films entirety to end).

When the film started on the beach when Antonios first meets death, it showed real promise, but I began to question where it was actually taking me and how I felt about what was going on. However, I feel that this may have been Bergamn's design, making us question religion, what happens when we die and also giving a true representation of the time it was set. It was a film that went onto inspire many people, and films (the most famous perhaps being Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey where they play Battleships against death, then Cludo and Twister beating death every time). Though maybe not a film that has aged the best, it opened up many doors for people in cinema and made audiences see a darker yet perhaps more truthful side to Bergman's directing, leading it to be a film praised by critics to date. Maybe not one for younger audiences but still a film definitely worth seeing.

7/10

The Graduate

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The Big Lebowski

He Went Out In Search of A Rug But Found So Much More

Director: The Coen Brothers
Release Date: 1998
Rating: 18
Running Time: 110 mins
Genre: Comedy/Drama
Actors: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Jullianne Moore

"The rug really tied the room together"

When his rug is stolen by criminals after he is mistaken for Billionaire Jeffrey "The Big" Lebowkski, The Dude (Bridges) sets off in search of the illusive man in the hope of finding the men responsible for this theft in the hope of being lead to his rug. Though from one problem spiralling into another, The Dude and his buddies Walter (Goodman) and Donnie (Buscemi) are roped into a conspiracy involving the kidnapping of The Big Lebowski's young newly wedded wife. Held at ransom for a considerable amount of money and after being sent her toe in the mail, The Dude and his friends have got to try and come up with away to rescue Mrs Lebowski before they're sent any other part of her, but also most importantly...find his rug.

There's no doubt the Coen's pride themselves on their humour, their dark yet at the same time effectively light hearted narratives, but most of all there's no doubt they pride themselves on laying out a complicated film riddled with twists and turns only really to find out the whole thing is a bit of a farce. Spun into a web of lies, deceit and foolishness, The Big Lebowski becomes a film that no one can fully understand what is going on at first viewing, but will soon turn out to be a fantastically spun comedy.

Jeff Bridges and John Goodman without a doubt make a fantastic double act as The Dude and Walter; who as a duo manage to find the line between perfect comedy, heart-warming bromance and lovers tiffs. It's obvious that the two have some deep problems: The Dude being a lazy unemployed stoner who will nearly always leave the house in just a dressing gown and underwear not giving a damn. And Walter, a short tempered ex Vietnam Vet who as a result will often act rashly and spontaneously resulting in some fantastic consequences, (throwing the blackmailers a duffle bag of dirty underwear oppose to money, smashing up a strangers car and of course biting off a mans ear). Both men share a common view that when all else fails, go bowling.

With the help of The Big Lebowski's daughter Maude (Julianne Moore), The Dude searches for the missing Lebowski and thus begins a story like no other. For me, this is still one of the funniest films of it's generation and though you may not know completely what is actually going you, you'll enjoy it none the less.

9/10

Witness For The Prosecution

Guilt or Not Guilty?

Director: Billy Wilder
Release Date: 1957
Rating: U
Running Time: 115 mins
Genre: Noir/ Courtroom Drama
Actors: Charles Laughton, Tyrone Power, Marlene Deitrich

Billy Wilder takes on Agatha Christie after writing and directing this noir courtroom drama of a man, Leonard Vole (Tyrone Power) pleading his innocence for a murder he is accused of commuting. It will take the brain power of lawyer, Sir Wilfred Robarts (Charles Laughton), the most successful but angry barrister in England, to prove Vole's innocence whilst all the evidence builds up against them. But it may take more than a good lawyer for the jury as the evidence stacks up against Vole with an almost certain death penalty awaiting him.

Witness For The Prosecution like such films as 12 Angry Men before it, forces the audience to question their own thoughts and morality in proving a man's innocence or guilt. Though maybe not a film that would appeal to a large audience, especially given its age and plot, it is a film that would be able to grab any person and keep them thoroughly entertained throughout. Maybe not a Wilder film that has necersarily aged the best, it still holds up as a classic that audiences can still appreciate.

One of the most edge of the knife dramas from the 1950's, another masterpiece by the incredible Billy Wilder who has once again managed to find the perfect balance between the noir suspense and comedy.

8/10

Lucy

One Girl You Will Not Want To Mess With

Director: Luc Besson
Release Date: 2014
Rating: 15
Running Time: 85 mins
Genre: Sci-fi/Action/Thriller
Actors: Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman, Min-ski Choi

If you haven't heard the name Luc Besson, you would surely be familiar with his work. He's director, screenwriter and producer who has been behind some big blockbusters over the past two decades: Leon, The Fifth Element, The Family, Taken, The Transporter, District 13; the list can go on and on. So now the auteur has decided to, what feels like, take on Limitless with this sci-fi thriller that shows us what could be possible if we could access 100% of our brain power, 10 times more than we can actually use.

Combining two stories, we begin with Lucy, a naive 25 year old girl working in Taiwan, who is conned into delivering a briefcase to a kingpin drug lord. Unaware of what might happen, Lucy enters into the nightmarish world and is consequently forced to be a drug mule after having a bag containing a new drug inserted into her and made to board a plane to Paris in order to successfully smuggle the drug into Europe. However, plans begin to change when the bag ends up leaking the drug into Lucy's blood, causing it to have unbelievable results. Lucy then looks for the help of neuro scientists and lecturer Morgan Freeman for some form of explanation as to what's happening, but it's not long before Lucy after only a few hours gains more knowledge than him and could potentially have the answers he's been looking for all his life.

Though this film has an exciting plot line, I feel like it almost tries too hard to confuse audiences and to be quite honest, at the end of the film I wanted to put it straight back to the beginning and watch it all over again, as there was just too much information to take it. There's no denying it was an incredibly interesting film that makes you think about life and how the mind works, but this film made mine work a little bit too hard and will take several viewings to fully understand everything Luc Besson is throwing at us.

Leaving most of the exposition down to Morgan Freeman, lecturing a roomful of students in Paris, we learn the brains capabilities in animals and humans a like and we're taught about the significance of the brains capabilities along with what could happen if this could expand. Through unique cinematography in action films, we're shown real life footage of animals and primates representing the evolutionary scale of what we've achieved.

Scarlett Johansson is left to the action side of the film and proves herself as a more than capable badass. After seeing Johansson in other films such as the Marvel series as Black Widow, the actress pushing thirty is certainly making her mark as a female action hero and still at quite a young age, taking the reigns from Angelena Jolie, Uma Therman and Sigornier Weaver previously, showing us that Johansson could just be the female action hero to look out for at the moment.Hopefully now she's settling into these rather badass roles, this won't be the last we see of Scarlett Johansson kicking some ass.

6/10

The Inbetweeners 2

The Boys Are Back

Directors: Damon Beesley, Iain Morris

Release Date: 2014

Rating: 15

Running Time: 95 mins

Genre: Comedy

Actors: Simon Bird, James Buckley, Blake Harrison, Joe Thomas

"You know why they call it down under? Cause that's where your face spends most of the time"

No idea of how to be cool, talk to girls or what they want to do in life, sounds like something any teenage boy can relate to, just add constant embarrassment, rejection and downright clueless behaviour to that and you've got the inbetweeners. More outrageous than ever, the boys are back and this time heading on "A mental gap year to Australia" and it's looking like this time it might actually go well for them...of course it won't, these boys have no idea what they're doing and landing them on the other side of the world,  the writers have made for a bigger catastrophe than ever before.

Having left sixth form and been on a lads holiday to Malia where each of the boys managed to strengthen their friendship, find love and maybe even become men, you'd think the writers would leave the poor guys alone and let them get on with their lives. But of course, them being the inbetweeners, this could never happen. Having almost finished their first year at uni, Will, Simon and Neil still haven't really grasped how to fit in with other people and maybe they would've in fact been better off staying together. So when Jay messages them explaining how he's got over his relationship with his ex and is settling into a life as a DJ in Australia with pick of the women when he wants, the other three want to get in on this luxury life and head down under, only to find Jay may not have been completely honest.

As you can probably guess, it follows a typical inbetweeners narrative, with Will thinking he knows best when actually has no idea, Simon constantly having girl problems, Jay covering up any truth to his life what so ever, and Neil. Though the film was entertaining and had it's moments, I just feel that it hasn't been able to match the TV series or even the last film and I think it may be because I felt like I wasn't seeing anything new, but rather just the previous antics but in Australia. The biggest problem was that it all just felt a bit rushed, and with a film there's the luxury of not having to cram it all into 20 minutes like the series. Perhaps if it slowed down a bit and it wasn't filled with just travelling then perhaps the story could've developed and delivered slightly better, but all the same it managed to be enjoyable.

I'd like to think this isn't the end for the inbetweeners, the cast has got almost ten years older than their characters now the writers could actually make the story jump ahead a few years rather than only a few months each time. I guess the possibilities are endless, but I hope the standard of comedy doesn't continue to dip and they can find the sort of humour energy that was there when they first started.

All in all, it was good, but just lacked that flare.

6/10

The Expendables 2

The Expendable Dozen

Director: Simon West
Release Date: 2012
Rating: 15
Running Time: 100 mins
Genre: Action/ 80's Revival
Actors: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwartsnegger 

"You've been back enough, I'll be back".

I'm going to be honest, when I saw there was a new Expendables movie coming out I thought 'Here we go again', another stupid blockbuster that will feature little to no narrative or character development, cost millions to make and its primary aim would be to blow up and much stuff and kill off as many extras as it possibly can and have plenty more to franchise this film to death just so some of the action heros from the 80's could revive their career in a film for the fans. So when I finally had the guts to sit down to watch, I was not surprised at what I came to see. However, what I was surprised at was how much I actually ended up liking it.

I think the truth is at the end of the day, we don't want to sit down every time and watch 'Citizen Kane', 'Vertigo' or 'The Godfather Trilogy' because we just don't have the energy to absorb our minds in such fascinating and genius films that you've got to watch five times before you can actually begin to comprehend. Though perhaps that's hypercritical of me to say given that I do live for those sorts of films. I guess what I mean is, sometimes we all just need to switch our brains off, ignore the many plot holes and just enjoy watching everything that's shown on screen get blown up for 90 minutes.

I can't guarantee that you're going to be watching you're new all time favourite film, or even that you'll remember half of it in six months, but what I can guarantee is that you'll get to see Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger ripping the doors of a smart car and driving round shooting nameless terrorists whilst Chuck Norris walks around just not giving a shit. Stallone also, for a short period revives his role as the legenary Rocky Barboa as he puts aside the Rambo by tossing his gun away and taking on the so aptly named French villain Villain, in a brawl to the death.

As you can probably imagine it tried to take itself seriously, but at the end of the day just had to throw in all the clichés and cheesy one liners they could think of e.g. "I'll be back", "You're ass is terminated" and what's an 80's revival without "Yipe-kaya". If you ask me though, this managed to pull off another rare successful sequel, in terms of star power and finally getting to see Bruce and Arnie get involved in some of the action rather than just compete for who's got the biggest ego. I don't see why this franchise can't keep going as they can just keep replacing the story with new places and villans until maybe one day the indestructible action hero's decide to call it a day.

What I'm basically saying is, if you're expecting Francis Ford Coppola or Alfred Hitchcock, you're going to be disappointed, so just don't expect much but fighting and and dick measuring and you'll pretty much love it.

7/10

Taxi Driver

The Perfect Film

Director: Martin Scorsese
Release Date: 1976
Rating: 18
Running Time: 120 mins
Genre: Action/Drama
Actors: Robert DeNiro, Jodie Foster, Harvey Keitel, Cybil Sheperd

"I go all over. Don't make no difference to me."

If you know Robert DeNiro from Meet The Parents then you'll know a completely different side to the actor than the 'you talkin to me?' vigilante DeNiro that Scorsese introduced us to in 1976. Almost four decades ago and you would probably now barely recognise the actor, but even then it's fair to say DeNiro was on the top of his game. As a method actor, the Hollywood legend would give everything to a role, and after spending months driving taxis preparing for a role, Bobby left us with a truly memorable and fantastic performance as Travis Bickle - Taxi Driver.

When it comes to film directing Martin Scorsese just completley knows what he's doing, and whenever the opening titles emerge with "Directed by Martin Scorsese", you know that you're going to be in safe hands. There's so much to appreciate about Taxi Driver, from the way that writer Paul Schrader is able to manipulate a classic western plot line, into a more contemporary story fit to suit the life of a disturbed taxi driver during the darker years in New York City. The way that once again Bernard Herman can combine romance with a sinister and dark undertone to provide the perfect score for a films theme tune. But mostly the way that even though the pace of it is so slow but at the same time can allow for so much to happen during it.

It's a simple story but the way that it's centred around such a unique and complex character, we find ourselves entranced by what it has to offer. When isolated and disturbed drifter,Travis Bickle gets sent home from fighting in Vietnam, he finds himself returning to a very different home to the one that he left behind. Suffering insomnia and other traumas from the war, Travis becomes a full time taxi driver ("any place any time") and does his best to settle back into a life in civilisation, but civilisation is not what Travis thinks has greeted him, so instead wants to try and clean the streets of the scum that has taken them over.  "Hopefully one day a real rain will come and wash the scum from the streets."

However, it's fair to say that all the acting in this film is done incredibly well, even from Martin Scorsese himself who has the small role of a passenger who talks to Travis one day late at night after climbing in the back of his taxi. But what's so fascinating about the scene is that given Travis' persona and attitude to New York City in the 70's, once the passenger gets out we're left wondering if he was real or just Travis loosing his mind. And that's partly what's so ingenious about this film as their are so many readings that can be taken from it. Jodie Foster also manages to shine through in this film (at the age of 14) as a young girl who one day gets into Travis' taxi and turns out to be working as a prostitute after running away from home. It's a tough character for any actor to play, and at such a young age, she performs superbly.

If you haven't seen Taxi Driver you're still bound to know the famous "Are you talking to me" scene and if not, well I don't know where you've been. It's a film that's so dark yet at the same time still manages to be so poetic, and though our protagonist, Travis, seems so disturbed and someone who know one can understand, we still can't help but like him. There's something about the slow pace of this film that makes it so fascinating, and it's fair to say that this, much like many Scorsese films, focusses heavily on the character development as we see Travis reach his boiling point. There are parts where people will wonder where this film is going and what even is actually happening, but that's why it's so effective and works. It stands alone as a very unique representation of life in 1970's New York during the depression, and probably is one that many people can understand because of this.

Fantastically acted, and superbly written and directed. A true film that can be watched and watched and will always be able to give more each time.

10/10

Double Indemnity

The Perfect Noir

Director: Billy Wilder

Release Date: 1944

Rating: PG

Running Time: 115 minutes

Genre: Film-Noir

Actors: Fred MacMurray, Edward G. Robinson, Barbara Stanwyck

"Yes I killed him. I killed him for money, and a woman. And I didn't get the money, or the woman. Pretty, isn't it?"

There's no denying that the 1940's pulled some incredible memorable crime thrillers out the bag and it became a revolutionary decade for cinema; it can be said that this was very much the era of Film-Noir. Originally named by French Cinema to mean "Black Film", Film-Noir took on the stylistic traits of low key black and white to create dark and ominous crime thrillers taking place in the rough ends of some of the U.S's big cities: New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Film-Noir mainly formed Hollywood crime dramas following the lives of outsiders to the developing industrial U.S society and formed an anti-hero, usually morally corrupt or with a disturbed past due to war or politics. In this way it was very much a film that would leave audiences with a bitter taste in the mouth and show viewers the outcome of what real life could be like, Film-Noir showed a much more real life that other genres that were developing around the same time. So there must be something that attracted so many audiences to Film-Noir, featuring shoot outs, heists and almost every time; murder. They were an exciting breathe of fresh air that broke boundaries on what could be shown so early on in cinema, and churned some films that are still so highly regarded today.

So what is it about "Double Indemnity" that still makes it so highly regarded 70 years on, and having it still stand out as one of the greatest Film-Noirs to date. The Story of dying man, Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray) an insurance salesman who gives his final confession; being an accomplice to killing a beautiful yet evil woman's husband after falling in love with her. Their motive, to gain the insurance money left in his name and start a fresh life together. It seemed like a simple idea, but with insurance analyst and Neff's friend Keyes close to figuring out the truth, the couple have to spin a web of lies in order to avoid being found out. The name of the film "Double Indemnity" exists as a clause in a life-insurance policy where the payment is doubled if the cause of death is accidental; therefore establishing the perfect motive for murder.

It's a film that ticks all the boxes for a great noir story and we find ourselves struggling to choose which side to follow: the immoral protagonist or the law. And though we know the outcome, we've no idea how or why events have led to that particular point.

A fantastic and timeless film from the legendary Billy Wilder.

Rating: 9/10

Raging Bull

The Man Outside The Ring

Director: Martin Scorsese

Release Date: 1980

Rating: 18

Running Time: 129 mins

Genre: Biography/Drama/Sport
Starring: Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci, Cathy Moriarty

"If you win, you win. If you loose, you still win."

When people  think of Martin Scorsese they usually tend to associate him with the crime and gangster genre of cinema, ('Goodfellas', 'Casino', 'The Departed', 'Mean Streets') and because of that they look over the other brilliant films he's made, it makes you wonder what made him choose a sports film at all.  I find Scorsese's films to go deeper than just a singular genre and more often than none, they turn out to be more along the lines of biographical dramas oppose to just full out gangster mob movies. Scorsese stands out to me as a director who's able to capture the harsh realities of life and therefore doesn't necessarily always deliver the happy endings that most audiences usually hope to see. In that sense I see Scorsese as quite a bold risk taker in terms of delivering different and gritty stories about troubled and exceptional people.

Until I saw Raging Bull, I had absolutely no interest in boxing what so ever, if anything I found the concept barbaric and hard to grasp, no need to say  that I was slightly apprehensive when I came to watching Raging Bull. Nevertheless I found it hard to turn down a film directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Robert DeNiro. I had never heard of Jake LaMotta before and I didn't realise when I came to watching it that 'Raging Bull' was infact a biographical film about the boxers life, but I stuck with it all the same having heard such great things about it prior, and I have to say that my opinion of boxing was changed. Whist watching the film, Scorsese still managed to captivate me in much the same way as 'Mean Streets' and 'Taxi Driver' were able to (the two films that Scorsese directed and collaborated with DeNiro prior to 'Raging Bull'). 

Filmed in high contrast black and white, the film starts out with Jake LaMotta being cheated out of winning a fight against Jimmy Reeves in 1941 causing major controversy at that time for fans of boxing. However, despite not really believing in himself both in the ring and outside it with his suffering marriage, LaMotta is spurred on by his brother and manager Joey LaMotta (Joe Peci: 'Goodfellas', 'Casino') and continues to fight. Along the way Jake also meets 15 year old Vickie who he very quickly falls in love with, and despite already being married the two form a very strong relationship. The film follows the highs and lows of LaMotta's life; his career inside the ring and his relationships outside of the ring as well with Vickie and his brother Joey. 'Raging Bull' is able to deliver a gritty and hard hitting side to LaMotta that fans may never have seen before. Scorsese and DeNiro are able to potray an extraordinary (and slightly dramatised) adaptation of the boxers life both during and after the fighting that still intrigues audiences today.

For me, 'Raging Bull' is one of Martin Scorsese and Robert DeNiro's best collaborations and moreover, perhaps one of the best films of both of their careers. Whether you're a fan of boxing or not, it's still definitely one to check out as it's a true masterpiece.

Overall: 8/10

Fight Club

Sorry, But I Will Be Breaking The First And Second Rule Of Fight Club

Director: David Fincher
Release Date: 1999
Rating: 18
Running Time: 130 mins
Genre: Drama/Psychological Thriller
Actors: Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Helena Bonham-Carter

How can you know anything about yourself until you get in a fight?

Lets face it, you don't need to have seen Fight Club to know the first rule of it (You do not talk about Fight Club), you may have needed to see it to know the second one (You do NOT talk about Fight Club), but when looking at David Finchers off-the-wall psychological thriller, you may need to talk about it once it's over as it's going to raise a hell of a lot of questions.

Ed Norton takes on the role of an insomniac office worker, consumed by today's world of marketisation and consumer products ('We use to read porno mags, now we read catalogues'). He needs something more to his life that the world he's trapped in, neither asleep nor awake and finally one day he meets a strange yet altogether likeable man, Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) when flying on a plane and Tyler ends up having a bigger impact on his life than he might have first thought. After a night of drinking in a bar, the two decide to engage in a drunken fight with one another, that begins to attract a lot of attention from others, who, like them, want to join in, thus beginning the foundation of Fight Club, but that's as far as I can go.

If you don't like fighting, violence, blood, or having your mind well and truly blown, I'd stay clear of this film as all of the above will play a big part in what you'll see. Fincher has a certain style of directing where he well and truly loves to shock (and even appal) his audiences leaving everyone with mixed feelings about what they've just sat and watched. But it's also a film that has got multiple layers to it, creating a very packed and intricut film. On the one hand Fight Club is an incredible film that takes you on a journey through the inner workings of the mind and on the other, it's an incredible film about a bunch of guys getting together and beating each other up.

What else is there to say about Fight Club? It's really one of those films you've got to watch to appreciate, but like many other David Fincher films (mainly Se7en) you'll be taken on a ride left feeling weird and wondering what the hell you've just watched.

A truly brilliant film, but may require a couple of watches.

8/10

Some Like It Hot

Some Comedies Will Never Stop Being Funny

Director: Billy Wilder
Release Date: 1959
Rating: PG
Running Time: 120 mins
Genre: Comedy
Actors: Jack Lemon, Tony Curtis, Marilyn Monroe

"Water Polo? That sounds dangerous!" - "I'll say, I had two ponies drown under me."

Now here's a film that will never age. Men being women, will that ever get boring? Probably not if Some Like It Hot is anything to go by.

Three legends of Hollywood combine together to make this seemingly gangster movie turn into one of the most hilarious comedy of the 1950's. We meet two struggling male musicians Jerry & Joe (Jack Lemon & Tony Curtis) desperate for money and having just witnessed a murder, the two are forced to go on the run after being chased by criminals. There only hope of survival...join an all female band headed to Florida, slight hitch from the two fugitives, there may be a slight problem, so consequently the only thing that can help them are two rather hilarious costumes and a pair of bad wigs transforming them into Josephine (Joe) and Daphne (because Jerry wasn't a big lover of Geraldine).

Some Like It Hot is one of those films that is just funny throughout as a result of it's irony, wit and also a rather poor yet highly entertaining Cary Grant impression from Tony Curtis as he does his best to woo the bands  very beautiful yet slightly dim singer and ukulele player Sugar Kane Kowalczyk (Marilyn Monroe). There's a certain irony to Some Like It Hot that other films just wouldn't have, such as one line from Sugar Kane 'That'll put hair on your chest!' followed by a subtle and amused look from Jack Lemon followed by his response 'No fair guessing'. 

However, it wouldn't be fair to say that this completely comes down to the script alone, the acting as well creates the two to compliment each other so well. The chemistry between the three characters is fantasticly entertaining and so effective. Marilyn Monroe has a certain style of acting, playing up to the reputation of a rather simple yet beautiful blonde girl, (despite having one of the highest IQ's of any Hollywood star) but the role goes deeper than that and it definitely needed a certain personality to make it just right. But there's no denying Monroe fitted into the character so perfectly, it would be hard not to  fall in love with her by the time the film is over. An actress recognised worldwide even today, it's worth seeing what Marilyn Monroe is actually capable of because she has actually proved to be hilariously funny as well as just a pretty face.

This comedy, like any Wilder film has managed to stand the test of time and still works as a relevant and highly entertaining comedy that anyone can appreciate. It's more than just any old comedy, as there is still nothing quite like it out there managing to find the perfect balance of romance, comedy and action.

If you're not a fan of old films then I'd say check this one out, because it may just change your mind.

9/10

Oblivion

If You Came To See Tom Cruise, Then You'll Get Your Money's Worth

Director: Joseph Kosinski
Release Date: 2013
Rating: 12
Running Time: 120 minutes
Genre: Sci-fi
Actors: Tom Cruise, Andrea Riseborough, Olga Kurylenko, Morgan Freeman

"How can man die better than facing fearful odds"

From riding motorbikes, to running, to looking 20 years younger than he is, to saving the day, is there anything Tom Cruise can't do..that we haven't seen time and time before

I'm going to be honest, I was sceptical when this film came out. For me it appeared to be just another Tom Cruise film about Tom Cruise where Tom Cruise does a load of cool stuff and everything else is just background. This of course did prove to be the case and, this much like any typical Tom Cruise film there proved to be a lot of him running, driving motorbikes and surviving impossible odds. Of course this is what I was expecting to find, so fair enough I managed to get my money's worth from it. However hidden away under the  incredibly long establishment that this is a typical Tom Cruise film there was an underlying of important narrative development that hinted that perhaps this film might actually go somewhere, and after a long period of showing the devastation of post apocalyptic New York stemmed quite an exciting story that managed to keep me interested for the majority of the film.

It's a fairly simple premise for the film, earth has been inhabited by Aliens who plan to take over, and after 50 years, there are few survivors as all the humans have evacuated the planet, all except two humans who stayed to repair the drones that helped maintain the planet after the humans left, Jack Harper (Tom Curise - not to be mistaken for Jack Reacher) and his partner Victoria (Andrea Riseborough). All seems well for the lone survivors maintaining civilisation, until a ship falls from space and crash lands with some unlikely survivors that begins to cause Jack to question his past and his very existence.

Perhaps a fairly predictable film, rolling out every cliche in the book, but there's no denying it is a very exciting sci-fi, once it finally pulls you in.

7/10

Bad Neighbours

These Neighbours Know How To Party

Director: Nicholas Stoller
Release Date: 2014
Rating: 15
Running Time: 95 mins
Genre: Comedy
Actors: Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, Zac Efron, Dave Franco

'In this neighborhood, we don't always stay off the "grass"!' says a brown-nosing Seth Rogen before revealing a pre-rolled joint to his newly arrived neighbours Zac Efron and Dave Franco, you'd assume by this welcoming gift from the 'old couple next door' that a neighbourly friendship is about to blossom. But little do both parties know its not just going to be the joint that will be sparked, but also, after phone call to the police, intense rivalry like no other resulting in hilarious circumstances. With pool Parties, BBQ Parties and even Robert DeNiro Parties, it's fair to say that these neighbours no how to party. But lets back up a little...

Newly wedded couple, Mac and Kelly (Rogen and Byrne) are settling into their married life and adjusting to living in their suburban home, whilst also coping with the added responsibilities of parenthood and becoming fully grown adults, it seems like the couple will finally have to finally accept that their youth is now behind them. Enter the Delta Fraternity next door....

Like Channing Tatum and others before him, it's finally Efron's turn to prove himself as an actor, not just for the women but for the guys as well. It's fair to say, as he takes on the lead in this American comedy, he settles into the part and suits it very well, there's definitely a career in comedy for the young star if he fancies Bad Neighbours 2. And of course he ends up spending the majority of the film with his top off, so of course its a film for the ladies as well. Seth Rogen once again graces our screen as his usual character of a fat lovable stoner, but now is the fat lovable stoner accompanied by a wife (Rose Byrne) and new born baby , so the comical actor changes his tune slightly and adapts to this new role. Of course there's much more shrooms, weed and other drugs involved, so the old Seth Rogen we know and love hasn't fully left us yet.

There's no denying that Bad Neighbours is yet another mad college film with constant parties and the typical American gags we both love and sometimes are sickened by, so if you like dick jokes, fart jokes and more dick jokes then Bad Neighbours is definitely a must see movie this year. But its not just its crude humour that stands out in this film, because its not just a typical college film but it can be said it goes a bit deeper than that. In many ways despite its 'boyish' humour, the film does say a lot about people growing older, loosing their youth coming to terms with being grown ups. As well as also looking the problems with drawing to the end of education and having to venture out into the real world. In many ways it says a lot about reality and age and how we cope with it, but of course there's also a load of drinking, taking drugs and staying up all night to party.

7/10

The Amazing Spider-Man 2

A Well Rebooted Franchise

Director: Mark Webb
Release Date: 2014
Rating: 12
Running Time: 145 mins
Genre: Superhero/Action
Actors: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx

Hats off to Andrew Garfield, when all is said and done, he portrays a pretty badass Spider-Man. Mark Webb's recreation of the web slinger's franchise is certainly able to raise the bar on what a superhero movie needs. Awesome fight scenes, squaring up to bad guys but mainly just being amazing, and there's no question about whether The Amazing Spider-Man franchise brings this. If we compare this rebooted franchise to the last one 10 years ago with Toby Maguire and Kirsten Dunst, it's interesting to look at what's stayed the same and what this new one has managed to do differently (better!). For one thing, the technology now is able to provide us with a real kick-ass superhero that's able to do so much more than they've been able to do previously, but for the Spidey fans who grew up with the comic books and cartoon TV series (like I was), it feels to be much more loyal to what it originally was. Plus this time there's a Peter Parker who is a believable late teenager, like he was originally meant to be, and like in the comics, he doesn't have webbing already, but instead manufactures it himself (but I'm getting into real geek territory now).

We meet Peter Parker two years on, after the first instalment of The Amazing Spider-Man, and he's just graduating high school and becoming a man. He's a typical young man just setting out in life, worrying about college, leaving home and suffering girl trouble with his girl friend Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone), as well as just generally trying to stay on top of things. But as well as all of this, he's web slinging super hero trying to save Manhattan and all of it's citizens whilst also trying to prevent anyone from finding out his true identity (busy life)! In this new instalment to the franchise Peter's got to battle not one but two super-villains this time, with the power drive maniac (literally) Electro (Jamie Foxx) and another familiar face as well.

There's no denying the filming and direction of this film is incredible, it would've been hard to manage what Mark Webb is doing currently, 10 years ago, audiences are given a real insight into Spidey's mind, and it's pretty amazing. The acting in this film is fantastic, especially from a 30 year old Andrew Garfield playing a  man 10 years younger than himself. Though this is not the shortest film Marvel have produces (at just under two and a half hours), it's fair to say it's very dialogue heavy (obviously setting up the next, but hopefully not final chapter to this franchise), but no denying the action sequences definitely made up for it and kept everyone entertained throughout, along with some more brilliant Spider-Man one liners. Its true that perhaps Spider-Man isn't everyone's favourite superhero but I can guarantee he'll be up there after you've seen this because he is just so cool and likeable (like a young Tony Stark). Without a doubt Marvel need to continue making more Spidey films, and quickly before Andrew Garfield gets too old! Webb will definitely will need to get him into an ensemble superhero film soon because it would be epic to see Spidey along side Ironman and Hulk!

8/10

Vertigo

The Film Everyone Hated Until It Became Loved

Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Release Date: 1958
Rating: 15
Running Time: 120 mins
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Actors: James Stewart, Kim Novac

The film of a dangling man suspended over the edge of life itself, desperately trying not to fall. Vertigo is a film that suspends audience's alike with disbelief in a phenomenally well orchestrated labyrinth of misdirection, deception and suspense.

We first meet our protagonist, Police Detective John 'Scottie' Ferguson (Jimmy Stewart) in pursuit of a supposed criminal over a series of rooftops until he slips and clings hold of a gutter desperately trying not to fall. After witnessing, whilst hanging, a police officer try and help him and then fall to his death, we skip forward to Scottie much later, apparently surviving the incident with nothing but a cane and a corset to show of the event, but also now suffers from severe acrophobia (fear of heights) resulting in the sensation of vertigo (severe dizziness). After deciding to leave the police force, he is asked to follow and old college friend's wife Madeline (Kim Novac) who has apparently been taken over by her dead grandmother Carlotta Valdez. Scottie cautiously accepts the task, but it's not too long before Scottie begins to grow strangely enchanted by the mysterious woman on a rather unnatural scale.

It's a film that, for years, was slammed by critics and audiences alike. There's no doubt about it the film features some rather disturbing flaws and plot-holes that make audiences still to this day strangely uncomfortable. On one level, it's a film about a man tracking a possessed woman, but on another level it's a film about a man who falls in love with a woman who doesn't exist, and no matter how hard he tries, he cannot create the perfect, most idilic woman. And then there's the trouble with Scottie. There's no doubt about it the man is weird, and the problem is, he wants to go to bed with a dead woman. The film is about obsession and moreover, obsession over something that is no longer there. It's a rather bizzare and uncomfortable topic for Hitchcock to go down, particularly given the time it was made. Nowadays there's such a diverse mix of films out there, we are more use to such topics. But looking at this from a 1950's perspective, it's no wonder the film was no big success. I think casting Jimmy Stewart to play such a role was a good call due to there being something so innately likeable about him and that is the key reason we actually choose to stick with him. If another actor had been casted, the reaction to Scottie could have been a very different one. Looking back at 'Rear Window' (1954), it's another touchy film that explores the topic of voyeurism (pleasure from looking), and in that sense, it is again very weird protagonist, who is again played by Jimmy Steward, most likely because he was so well loved audiences over look how weird and perverted his character actually is.

'Vertigo' is a film about pleasure from looking. It's a film about a detective trying to uncover the truth about a woman's unnatural behaviour and falling in love along the way. But it has so many more layers to it that that. Its an untangelable ball of string that you will never be able to completely untie because there is no one true reading of this film. A simple way of putting it, it's a film about a film, so much so that if we think about Scottie, there's so much more to him than we first think, and he has a personality not too far away from Alfred Hitchcock himself, and this without a doubt is no accident. It took years before anyone really began to explore the secrets and mysterious hidden away in 'Vertigo', but once they were found, a whole stream began to follow.

It's almost as though Hitchcock is actually teasing us. He puts them but we ignore them and why? The film is incredibly slow paced, so much so that some do begin to get bored and switch off for a while, we're so focussed on one mystery we forget about another, and if we look at the film, we can just about follow it but we're positioned to be like Scottie and untangle the mystery with him. The film has to be viewed a good few times before it's apparent that we're being teased. The film features so many plot-holes but we just simply ignore them when we're watching and it's only after that we begin to think about them, and that's why it's so clever. The biggest question of all being, how did Scottie ever get down from the gutter? When we're watching it, we don't even think about him, the camera moves on and we place trust in the fact that he must've gotten down safely, or did he?

There's no real right or wrong take of 'Vertigo', and that's probably by design. The best reading of a film arguably is the one where you decide for yourself. Films are so broad and personal that it comes down to our own interpretation in the end, because everyone takes something different from it. My reading is, Scottie never got down, the film represents the final thoughts of a dangling man trying to accept his fate. The fact he falls in love with Madeline represents falling into his own doom. (That arguably says a lot about Hitchcock given his own relationships in life if this was his intention). It takes the film and the dream fr Scottie to learn that death is unavoidable will never come at 'the right time'.

The film went from hated, to loved, to arguably the best film ever made. It says a lot about how people read films and respond to them. A film first seen as awful may one day be amazing. Though maybe not a film that everyone will truly appreciate, which is very understandable when looking at the film on the whole, it says an awful lot about cinema and the techniques that at first brush over us but are plainly obvious.

How would I sum up 'Vertigo'? I wouldn't, because for me, it cannot be done, my own opinion is constantly changing and for that, it's an incredible achievement for an incredible director.

10/10

Metropolis

A Timeless Classic

Director: Fritz Lang
Release Date: 1927
Rating: 12
Running Time: 140 mins
Genre: Silent/ Sci-fi/ Drama
Actors:

'The connection between the head and the hand must be the heart'

Nearly 90 years on and still so modern. Metropolis explores such relevant themes of a modern world it's almost spooky. Exploring the ideas of capitalism, exploitation, alienation, the controlling and manipulating upper class, it's a very sociological as well as psychological film, it also presents ideas of the Holocaust that happened 15 years later so in that respect it can be seen as fairly controversial. It's one that makes you really think about the world and how much we take for granted and also how we take care of and treat one another, it says so much both about society and humanity.

Set years ahead of our own, despite perhaps originally being aimed at a time period perhaps similar to the one we live in now, we a taken by Fritz Lang to great city of Metropolis. Futuristic and much different world than one we live in today, we see the upper class living a life of luxury, when far below the ground we see the workers of the 'undercity' struggling to survive powering the great city of Metropolis. Ruled by an evil creator of Metropolis we see his son try and restore peace and bring together the two worlds in the hope that they can live in harmony. But a plan takes place to make sure this will never happen.

It's truly a film taking place way ahead of it's time and fantastically shot, designed and developed, it's amazing to see that cinema so long ago could produce a film still so modern and incredible. Having said this however, the film being 2 hours and 20 minutes of silent cinema, it requires unbelievable concentration to keep up with and having little to no sound effects throughout and instead relying on just music alone, it does draw a little tedious.

Inspiring a revival in the 70's that sparked a massive interest in the film, inspiring the music video for Queen's 'Radio Ga Ga', there's no doubt that this is an inspiration pushing morale values and the good of humanity. Overall 'Metropolis' proves to be a moving and captivating film that will stand the test of time for years to come.

7/10

Mean Streets

Scorsese In His Finest And Rawest Form

Director: Martin Scorsese
Release Date: 1973
Rating: 18
Running Time: 95 mins
Genre: Drama
Actors: Harvey Keitel, Robert DeNiro

'You don't make up for your sins in the church, you do it on the streets...'

'Mean Streets' is one of those films that stands out as a true masterpiece on so many levels. It is without a doubt one of Martin Scorsese's strongest films and one that really captures the essence of the directors background and nature. Focusing heavily on commitment, honour, love and friendship, it's tests how far we will go to save someone who is altogether 'unsavable'. Charlie (Harvey Keitel) is a man battling these problems. Caught between trying to do the right thing and the honourable thing, we see him struggle to cope with the hardship and constant aggravation of the people living on the mean streets of early 70's New York. Trying to cope with pressure from his uncle in the mafia to be an 'honourable man', the unbearably unpredictable and uncontrollable nature of his friend Johnny Boy (Robert DeNiro), Charlie's hopes of following in his uncles footsteps slowly withers away.

Though a virtually plot-less piece of film, Scorsese takes us on a journey showing the darker side of New York through fantastically and well structured script, characters and cinematography. Having written the script himself but not yet directing a big picture, Scorsese was originally turned down for the role of director, yet after persuasion and enthusiasm for cinema, he was granted the opportunity and it's fair to say the man delivered.

Though fairly slow paced, it's a truly fantastic and gripping film that practically launched the careers of three of the most treasured icons in Hollywood. Despite not winning any academy awards there's no denying it's a soaring debut from the legendary director.

Hard, gritty, brutal. A true masterpiece.

9/10

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

A Rare Successful Sequel

Director: Anthony and Joe Russo
Release Date: 2014
Rating: 12
Running Time: 140 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
Actors: Chris Evans. Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlet Johanson

It's difficult normally when watching a sequel for it to be anywhere near as good as the first. I think it's fair, looking at Marvel's attempts at continuing their 'Avengers' franchise, the sequels that they have released are just not as good as their predecessors. But maybe this is just that after seeing how amazing they made 'Avengers Assemble'  nothing will ever live up to anything as good. Let's face it, who can beat 6 superheroes teaming up together and smashing stuff? However, I don't think it's wrong to say that with the second 'Captain America' instalment, it may have managed to do a 'Terminator 2' on us. That being, Marvel may have actually released a sequel better than the first. No doubt about it, the first 'Captain America' film 'The First Avenger' was poor, perhaps even the worst film released so far. Nevertheless, regardless of sequels or spin offs or anything, taking this new Marvel instalment into account purely from a single film point of view, it was highly entertaining and actually very well received by audiences.

In the film audiences are able to enjoy exhilarating scenes including: Nick Fury (Sam Jackson) in a high speed car chase, firing a massive turret out the window whilst the car is driving itself, Captain America (Chris Evans) throwing his massive Frisbee at the bad guys saving the world and just Scarlet Johanson as Black Widow in general, why she never got her own film I will never know. It was refreshing to see Nick Fury finally getting his hands dirty and kicking some ass and getting involved as one of The Avengers rather than just the leader S.H.I.E.L.D. But the one problem I found with this film was that it was called 'The Winter Soldier', referring to the villain of the film, however he is probably on screen for about 20 minutes most and in all honesty he really doesn't do much, so maybe not the most fitting title ever for a film.

Not too long after the 'Avengers Assemble' is set but about 75 years after the 'Captain America: The First Avenger' is set, we join Steve Rogers/ Captain America is settling into modern life and doing what he does best. However, a sudden attack from inside S.H.I.E.L.D results in himself, Black Widow (Scarlet Johanson) and Nick Fury going on the run to escape an imminent death from an evil co operation that has taken over. The concept does sound like a fairly cliche y, boring plot but somehow it managed to keep me entertained for the whole 140 minutes that the film ran.

Despite finally giving Captain America the chance to redeem himself for his first film and his contribution to 'Avengers Assemble', there were so many occasions where it would've been much easier if they had called in Tony Stark/Ironman, or Bruce Banner/The Incredible Hulk rather than just let Captain America and Black Widow deal with it themselves. No one could argue that a film would be immediately improved by adding the legendary Robert Downey Jr.

However overall a highly successful Marvel Installment, was it the best one yet? Who knows. I'm certainly hoping that now that they have set up all the characters backgrounds and stories, they are going to release the ultimate Avengers film now, and perhaps even another. All I know is I feel that this ensemble of Superhero films are drawing to a close, until they decide to reboot them years later. But this film has certainly shown promise that it's developing into something brilliant.

6/10