The Lego Movie

Everything About This Is Awesome!

Director: Phil Lord & Christopher Miller

Release Date: 2013

Rating: U

Running Time: 100 mins

Genre: Animation/Comedy

Starring: Chris Pratt, Will Ferral, Elizabeth Banks, Morgan Freeman

"Come with me if you want not to die"

When you first see posters for this, you'll assume its for kids, but when I sat down the other day with a group of friends for what would be my third screening of this, I quickly realised, this is a film for everybody.

As children, everyone enjoyed playing with lego. The concept of building some amazing things and just simply being able to marvel at our creations was always an exciting feat. The Lego Movie shows us how amazing and imaginative a childs mind is, and reminds us how it use to be for us. But more than that, it reminds us, Lego is awesome!

Not only is it highly entertaining and extremely comical, with almost every other line making us laugh, it's a fantastic representation of a capitalist society. We follow rules, we obey everything the government says and we're distracted by mediocre comedy and other things that aren't relevant to real every day life. A fantastic quote is when our protagonist Emmet states "President Buissness is such a good guy, he makes all kinds of good stuff, surveillence systems, all history books voting machines...wait a minute". It says a lot about how we're controlled and have no real idea of what's actually going on...pretty deep stuff Lego. So, it backs up my argument that kids films are made to amaze and excite kids, but also keep the parents entertained and thinking too. One of the reasons, despite now being seen as too old for kids films, they are still such a guilty pleasure. 

With a cast full of famous faces, well in this case voices, we're provided with a lot of laughs from the likes of Morgan Freeman, Will Ferral, Elisabeth Banks and of course, our highly comical and lovable protagonist voiced by Chris Pratt. I guarantee that this film will have you laughing a lot along the way, through it's interestingly laid out plot, right up to the final moments when (spoiler alert) the Lego world is met by creatures from the land of Duplo. I've no idea how long the script took to write, but it is so humorous and funny, its bordering on genius. 

All I can say is, from watching it with a range of different people and hearing what they had to say, I doubt you'll meet many who won't enjoy it. It's so well made, the crew involved in producing this film have to be given a huge amount of credit as it is simply fantastic cinema viewing.

This is how animation should be.

8/10

The Room

What Is Going On...Seriously?

Director: Tommy Wiseau
Release Date: 2003
Rating: 15
Running Time: 100mins
Genre: Soapy crap
Sarring: Tommy Wiseau

"I didn't hit her, it's not true, it's b*llsh*t, I did not hit her....Oh hai Mark"

Wow! Wow wow wow! I knew this film was awarded a status of 'The Worst Film of All Time', but I thought, can it really be worse than Piranha DD? The Keith Lemon Film? Sharknado 2? MegaShark vs GiantOctopus? The answer, yes. For me, normally any kind of film that is the title with any kind of fish mutation in it should be branded as complete crap. Even film like The Human Centipede Trilogy, which I find to be a complete insult to cinema and should never have been made, surely have a better story line than this pile of soapy crap, Tommy Wisseau decided to inaptly name The Room. Names more applicable could've been The Never Ending Sex Scene or Throw up in your popcorn at the sight of my bare ass or even Haha You've Given Me You're Money For This Sh*t. But no, he chose The Room, and in doing so, made cinema history, for pretty much all the wrong reasons.

You cannot help but laugh at this dross. It's not laughing with, that's one thing I should really stress. It's laughing at. Not only is the script so poorly written and filled with so many sudden mood changes, and a serious lack of narrative flow and structure, the acting is just abismle. Tommy Wiseau cannot act. He just can't. Audiences love him, but I think more pity him. The man is a complete enigma. Where he found the films budget of $6 million anywhere is a complete mystery, and why anyone would green-light this...whatever it is...is beyond me. 

Not only do we have to sit throw these awful scenes, we then have to sit through them constantly as they are recycled over and over again, with different costumes and less members of the audience to watch. You have to wonder if half of this film is made up with just establishing shots, which I'll be honest, are the best parts of the film, giving audiences a chance to shout (entirely out of boredom and lack of excitement) 'Meanwhile in San Francisco...' to which the film continues, even if our hopes of ever getting out grow thin. I'm presuming that the reason so many of these comical games were created around viewing this film, is to simply pass the time and get through it without loosing the will to live. Needless to say, if you watch this film by yourself, you will be, bored, uninspired, confused and have I said bored already? Nope, the only way that you will get through The Room is to sit with a big group of people that are open minded enough to stay for the whole film and scream abuse at its entirety. 

So, the big question is...Is Tommy Wiseau a genius? Was he a man that knew exactly what he was doing, making a low budget soap opera ending in something that we just wish happened at the start. Or is he still a complete narcissist that believes his film is a work of art? Either way, it was bad enough to get everyone talking and curious to watch it and for that, he's gained a lot of love and success. I don't know what it is, and maybe no one does, but people enjoy watching the poor guy attempt to act. If Tommy wasn't in it and the character of Johnny was played by a different actor, would the film still be credited for being so funny, my guess is no. Instead, it would be just awful..er.

So The Room, how can you sum it up? It happened. And we have to all live with that now. But seriously, if you haven't seen it, I suggest you do, and that way you can decide if it really is as bad as you think. Wiseau actually stated once that 'You don't have to like The Room, but there will be something, maybe the tiniest thing that will make you think, hang on? I want to see more'. Well Tommy I'm not one hundred percent sure if that's right but I think we can all walk away having had many laughs, so should we love it for that reason? In fact, a close friend of mine actually stated that he thinks the film to be 'a masterpiece', but is this just sarcastic irony? Maybe we all take away something from this, or maybe it is just shallow nothingness. Either way, I've never seen anything quite like it, but does that make The Room's unique status something to be marvelled at.

We could spend hours trying to encript secret messages and meanings spread out through The Room, but really, it just sucks.

1/10

Straight Outta Compton

Just Talking To Their Diary

Director: F. Gary Gray
Release Date: 2015
Rating: 15
Running: 140 mins
Genre: Biography/Drama
Starring: O'Shea Jackson jr, Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell

"Speak a little truth and people loose their minds"

F. Gary Gray gives us another fantastically well portrayed film, this time about the growth, success and breakup of the legendary Hip/Hop group N.W.A. We see some of our favourite rappers portrayed by a group of young, and incredibly talented actors, with a very similar likeness to the legends they're portraying. Including Ice Cube's own son, Oshea Jackson jr, taking on the role of..well, you can probably guess. Despite none of the actors having any serious acting roles in the past I've got to begin by saying, the boys nailed it.

As a film fanatic and massive N.W.A fan before the films release, when I finally came to seeing this biopic, I loved it. Straight Outta Compton was the type of biopic that showed audiences how you can start at the very bottom and still achieve stardom and success. The boys in N.W.A showed us, their passion and love of music as well as their anger with stereotypes and racism, showing us that despite your background, it's possible to escape the crime and danger around you to make something of yourself. You can only admire the musical abilities of the young guys, starting their own company, producing their own music and gaining almost instant success. 

I've got to talk about one particular point to do with critics response to the film that I found actually rather startling. It's a point I didn't really pay much attention too until after viewing the film, that being that, despite the films highly successful appreciation from fans and audience members, not all critics were so full of praise. In fact, the popular film website IMDB have noticeably snubbed the films success by failing to add it to the site's top 250 film page, despite the film achieving a rating worthy of being on it. One argument reasoning why this has happened is, it 'promotes black crime and overall is a film showing the criminals coming out on top'. You have to argue therefore how films like The Godfather, Goodfellas, Casino portrays white crime and are highly successfully and regularly re-watched and loved by audiences. The argument has to be, that these films show both a rise and a fall, whereas in Straight Outta Compton's case, there is a rise and then an escape of a demise, except (spoiler alert) of course for the tragic death of Eazy-E in '93 from AIDs. However, there are many films portraying white criminals who do actually come out on top or get away with it, such as Chicago, No Country for Old Men, the Hannibal/Silence of The Lambs film series and most famously The Usual Suspects. Arguably though, these are mearly stories, and the biographical element of Compton may questionably mean that its too much for some critics to therefore praise.

Nevertheless, this film is very much seen as an anti-police film, and is therefore incredibly controversial, but we could argue this fact about other anti-police films such as the critically acclaimed French '95 drama La Haine. Also showing the impact of police brutality and unfair treatment of those living in poor areas. We see the members of N.W.A all experience different forms of police brutality, like Ice Cube being randomly assaulted and unfairly searched right outside his own front door after being suspect of possesion, to Dr Dre being arrested when he claim after to be 'literally just standing there'. However, we have to look at the fact that this film was actually produced by Dr Dre and Ice Cube, and therefore its them recalling their own experiences, and in this case, you have to wonder if the figures portrayed in the film were wholly innocent, or is it almost an anti-police film out for revenge? Ice Cube and Dr Dre are shown to be the ones portrayed to be in some senses, upright, moral people who turned their back on the criminals in their lives. However, we know Ice Cube was an angry guy, and we're shown this when he smashes up his managers office with a baseball bat, and even Dr Dre is allegedly notorious for being a 'woman beater', so maybe they aren't as much the heroes we're shown on screen. It's a controversial topic, but I choose to believe that, the Hip/Hop role models I look up to, were truthfully shown and they're artists we can admire for this. Of course, no film is wholly truthful but I feel fans and myself included can look at this film as a fair representation of the groups struggles and successes.

What can be said about Staight Outta Compton is, it was a long anticipated film, that in turn did not disappoint. It's arguably one for the fans, much like the Biggie biopic Notorious. But there was something about this great film that Notorious lacked, and I think it's the story that what happened. It wasn't always in N.W.A's hands, and really, the guys were trying to escape the poverty in Compton and  make the best of a bad situation. In this way, this film was highly captivating, even for the audiences that weren't N.W.A fans going in. Straight from the beginning scene before the title is hauntingly flashed up on the screen, I knew this was going to be more than just Hip/Hop artists, it would be a view into the real lives of those who grew up in the criminal ghetto: Compton and how some were able to rise above the crime by spreading an honest message. As a Hip/Hop fan myself, I feel like this film will do a lot for the controversial genre of music. It's now going to influence a younger audience who weren't aware of N.W.A first time around. You could see this as a marketing attempt from 'The worlds most dangerous group' to re-image themselves as people who inspire rather than agrevate, especially as it was released as the same time as Dr Dre's new album Compton, which is surely no accident. A quote from a recent N.W.A interview, done by current renowned rap artist Kendrick Lamar, showed DJ Yella stating "I think we're going to be more famous now than 26 years ago." Which is true. It says a lot about the power of film and how its able to manipulate us into watching the true story of this fascinating group of young artists.

It's an extremely disputable film and one that will definitely get people talking, even those yet to see it. But overall it's highly entertaining and surprisingly moving. Audiences won't guess from the almost, in some cases, comical songs from N.W.A, how dangerous their lives were. I myself didn't realise the extent of the police brutality, racism the boys faced. And despite knowing it was coming (Spoiler Alert), I found Eazy-E's death at the end so moving and harrowing that it's clear why Dre chooses to rap about his best friend so much in his music and keep his legacy going.

It's a film about friendship, making something from nothing and most importantly how powerful music can be, They group changed and revolutionised how music can be used to express themselves and say what so many others feared to say. It showed us the real start of the Hip/Hop we know today, and I feel that we're only going to see more from rappers and artists in years to come due to the legacy that N.W.A started. A great biopic that will have us talking for a long time to come.

9/10

Sullivan's Travels

A Journey We Can All Learn From

Director: Preston Sturges
Release Date: 1941
Rating: U
Running Time: 90 mins
Genre: Screwball Comedy
Sarring: John McCrea, Veronica Lake

"But nothing's going to stop me. I've got to find out what it's like to be without friends, without credit, without chequebook, without name. Alone"

I was recently introduced to the concept of Screwball Comedies having had no idea about the genre in the past. Thriving in the 1930's and 40's, the films adopted a genre of comedy similar to that of Film Noir, but with a slightly more light-hearted twist. The films distinguish themselves for their masculine and feminine characters battling for control and also for their battle of classes in those times. Needless to say the films featured a generous amount of conflict yet shown in a rather comical way to create the humorous element that was almost seen as a rarety when the film was first released.

With regard to this film, Sullilvan's Travels, one of which I will shamefully admit, despite being an early Hollywood classic, I had never actually heard of before viewing. We're taken on a journey with our lead: Joel McCrea playing John R Sullivan or Sully to his friends, an ignorant movie director, who wants to see the world through the eyes of a poor man suffering poverty, before then making a picture about the topic. It's an interesting concept for a film, and highlights perfectly the class conflicts that were common in the genre around the time. But what's more interesting about Sullivan's Travels is the way that Sully keeps being warned not to make this picture, it's not what he knows and it's not what the people around the time wanted to see. Emphasising how in cinema, people wanted escapism  rather than realism. Even at the end, Sully expresses how he wants to make a comedy instead of a drama, which his producers and crew are still surprised by. This is interesting given that the film itself is infact a comedy and you can wonder if Sturges battled with the same problems making the film as his protagonist.

In the early parts of the film we see him heading down the road in a Pingu like fashion, wielding a scrawny satchel and followed by a lorry full of his film crew. It's hard to really get a grasp of what's going on in the early parts of the film due to the fast dialogue and, if I'm honest slightly unclear narrative. I struggled to understand quite a lot, and clearly it's a film that may require a re-view. 

For me, it's a film where we see the story go from bad to worse in the characters case, but for the audience, it leaves us with some hilarious moments. It's feel is light overall, though does gradually get darker throughout the film, although the end message leaves us feeling positive understanding of the importance of people's laughter and how the people rely on it so much. It represents the time as well of course, early 40's, and how there was a lot of harrowing events occurring: poverty, bankrupsy, depression and of course the outbreak of WWII. It's a reminder of how important it is to simply, laugh.

There's a strong sense of how important money can be to people, and in John R Sullivan's case, he feels as though it can buy him whatever he needs, whether that's friendship or even freedom. We see him suffer poverty, assault and even imprisonment, but the whole time I felt that, the rich cannot understand the poor in the same way, no matter how hard they try. It didn't matter on the situation, or how bad things got, Sully could always get out of the problems, with proper health care, food, comfortable sleeping that his money was able to buy him, where as a man living in severe poverty like Sully was trying to, would not be awarded the same luxuries. This shows a lot about the American ideologies such as the 'American Dream' and how for many, it was something never experienced. The film gave the feeling of a protagonist who in this case was slightly flawed and not really one you can really get behind in support of. Everything bad that goes on, which (Spoiler alert) is quite a lot, happens purely Sully's own decisions, showing how he himself is flawed and the dark comedy element is brought out. 

One famous face I did recognise in this film however, was the very beautiful and famous Film-Noir actress Veronica Lake. I found Lake's performance to be one of a strong female character, but due to the time, had no real power in any circumstance during the film. She made important suggestions and showed how smart women in that time could be, but still the film, like most 40's Hollywood, felt to be slightly misogynistic.

So maybe these two characters, flawed for different reasons, tied in with the poverty aspects can sum up perfectly the function and intention of a Screwball comedy. There are as well, a few narrative flaws which are glossed over, and there's a lot of motifs and symbolism revolving trains, they themselves playing a huge part in the story, but if I'm being honest, I struggled to work out one exact answer for this enigma. Overall however, it was an enjoyable watch, proving how early 40's classics can still stand out as great cinema, which, though now only really targets a niche audience, it can still entertain and be loved.

7/10

Inherent Vice

PTA, You're Inherently Off The Wall

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

Release Date: 2014

Rating: 15

Running Time: 140 mins 

Genre: Crime/Drama

Actors: Joaquin Phoenix, Josh Brolin, Owen Wilson, Katherine Waterston

"INHERENT VICE: The tendency in physical objects to deteriorate due to fundamental instability of the components from which they are made, as opposed to the deterioration from external forces"

When Daniel Day Lewis received his second Academy Award for There Will Be Blood, he praised his director and screenwriter Paul Thomas Anderson (PTA) by stating that his Oscar "Sprang like a golden sampling out of the mad beautiful head of Paul Thomas Anderson" from a film that came from just "a small devilish whisper". It was those words that many PTA fans would have all agreed they could not have phrased the directors films any better than that. When we look back at Paul Thomas Anderson's work, it's clear that the writer/director really does have a quirky and surreal edge to his films that create instant cult followings from so many audiences. His films posses a surreal yet relatable feel that are underlined with entirely human and understandable narratives that can only be found after hours of digging through the enigmas that shield them. We can look back on such films like There Will Be Blood and see into the mind of a clear sociopath as he falls deeper into his madness, and even in his rom-com Punch-Drunk Love, the film that proved Adam Sandler could in fact act, we see a quirky relationship and love story form around two very unique individuals. If we explore his films we can see how this amazing man's mind works.

So Inherent Vice. Where do I begin? It's a film about drug fuelled LA in the 70s showing how drug addiction, police corruption and the free attitudes of the people living in that time can affect what goes on. However, shielded by a dialogue heavy plot we loose ourselves in the mind of Larry "Doc" Sportello, a man who we're not sure is completely sane, or even if he's aware of what is going on outside his own mind. We question the character, who works as a private investigator, that perhaps he would be more successful in his job is he laid off the drugs, but even still, PTA has created a world in which the not even a sane sober mind could fully understand. It's being described as an "Acid tripping stoner movie" that I feel sums up how we would all see the world if we were high 24/7, that being, a complete and utter unravelable sinario, it will be impossible to keep track of what's going on. One thing I will say is that you have to go into this film knowing that or you will get completely lost. There is so much open for interpretation it's almost worth giving up on trying to follow the plot-line. If you listen the dialogue, that does heavily lay on this film, you could wonder if PTA even intended it all to make sense, or was it, like the fans would say, an acid trip made to baffle and confuse us.

Did Joaquin Phoenix actually understand the plot himself whilst shooting was taking place? Given that he exists in the majority if not all the scenes in this film it's interesting to wonder the impact he himself may have had in creating this film. Though maybe not appreciated by everyone now, I can't help but wonder if, after some serious studying and analysing of this film, would it become an all time classic in which we explore the very depths of the human mind? Or is it instead just a film to show the impact of 70s attitudes on Los Angeles society, not only showing how drastically the times have changed in the last 40 years but capturing the laid back and overly careless and free-loving attitudes of a lot of the people in that time? Either way it's a film that you're going to have to watch twice just to try and gain a basic understanding of what the film is trying to say, and even then you probably will struggle.

Though its an interesting film, so well shot and captured with funny scenes and a tiny snippet of action, I personally just didn't get pulled into it in the way I have in other films. I think maybe I spent too long trying to decipher the dialogue I may have been standing too close to see the big picture. But even so, unless you're a fan on PTA/Coeness/Lyncheon plots, you may struggle to enjoy Inherent Vice, it's not an easy viewing, and at nearly two and half hours you may in fact come out wondering if you've wasted your time. It's a fantastically acted and captured work of art but as a film for me I may have missed the point, or better yet, got a good grasp of it but didn't care for it. Either way, a good film, but may take some time before it actually gets anywhere.

6/10

Mud

A Film We Owe A Lot To

Director: Jeff Nichols
Release Date: 2013
Rating: 15
Running Time: 120 mins
Genre: Drama/Adventure
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Tye Sherridan, Reese Witherspoon

What is it about Matthew McConaughey that makes him so instantly likeable? And why is it only now that we've realised the potential that this actor has? Before Nolan shot him across Galaxies in Interstellar, before the Texan was shipping and selling HIV medication in Dallas Buyers Club, before we were hung in pure suspense by his haunting acting in True Detective, we were given Mud. This is potentially the film that started The McConaissanse and all I want to know is through all the rom-coms, mediocre comedy adventures and Tropic Thunder, where did this array of unique and enigmatic performances arise from? Though the man himself may argue it was God who gave him the opportunity, you can look at this success and see that McConaughey was finally blessed with the good writing an actor liked him deserved, allowing him to show the world his true potential.

In Mud we begin with two boys headed downstream of the Mississippi River to find a mysterious boat suspended high in the trees, seeking adventure the two boys more the boat ashore and search for answers only to find that they aren't the first people to come across this boat and it's on the shore that they meet the mysterious man who goes by the name of Mud (McConaughey). Though we don't know much about Muds character this earlier it's plainly obvious that this mysterious character no matter how dark or elusive, is going to be someone we can't help but like. As the situation begins growing more and more volatile we realise more about Mud's past and perhaps how much he's going to need the two boys help in surviving the events to come.

It's a story that takes place almost entirely in the outdoors of DeWitt, Arkansas and through the two boys alongside this strange man they come across, it does feel like we're taken on a real adventure. The film has an underlying theme of futility and darkness to it, but it's also a story of love, growing up, coming of age, and most of all for me, friendship. Tied in with the amazing cinematography capturing the natural beauty of this state and a soundtrack that manages to tie together all the films themes, Mud is created to be a film that will take you on an adventure through the eyes of two young boys. You're shown the beauty of where they're living and the incredible journey they set out on, to help one man because they feel it's right. 

It's fair to say that movie lovers will owe this film a great deal for giving us one of Hollywood's most contemporary treasured actors so far in this decade and a film that makes you see the world once again through the innocence of a young teenager on the cusp of adulthood. Fantastically written and acted and shot, Mud is a film not just for the McConaughey fans.

8/10

Begin Again

Music Has Never Felt So Good

Director: John Carney
Release Date: 2014
Rating: 15
Running Time: 105 mins
Genre: Comedy/Music
Actors: Mark Ruffalo, Keira Knightly, Adam Levine, James Cordon

It's often a treat when you sit down to watch a film that you put on to kill time and it turns out to be an instant favourite. Begin Again is a an easy to watch, light hearted and most of all feel good film that will fill you a huge sense of  love for these characters all on the path to turning their lives around and getting somewhere with the talents they have. You'll be able to, as it all comes together, feel, see and hear the ambition and passion that went into making it. 

You can see so crystal clearly how much music can influence and uplift peoples moods. When it's just you and the music, troubles can be instantly forgotten and moods straight away lifted. The film has a real raw uniqueness to it, you're able to see: the struggles, the ambition, and the happiness from what this team of musicians are achieving, that really comes out in the cinematography, giving the film an edge of 'realness'. It shows how easy you can make life when you're driven and motivated to make something great, which is shown when Mark Ruffalo and Keira Knightly take to the streets with a small group of talented musicians and a low budget recording system to do what they do best, make music.

It's a film tied together through friendship, love, music and of course a fresh start. Needless to  say that a key ingredient to make this happen is a cast of likeable and faces to carry the message through, and its easy to see that John Carney managed to get this just right. The film was able to offer up a whole bunch particularly great yet different actors to get the diversity of relationships that intertwine in this rom-com. Keira Knightly proved herself not only as an actor but also as a very unlikely yet incredible singer, writing music to help get over the problems that have taken over her life. Mark Ruffalo remains the king of on-screen coolness in his role as the passionate music producer on the road to turning his life around with his wife, daughter, job and love of music. And though still fairly new to the scene, James Cordon can be seen rising through the Hollywood ranks offering a humorous edge with an instantly lovable performance as the busking Brit who like so many, is trying to make it in New York City.

Though all the characters have their baggage, its clear that when the music takes over and they work in unison all is soon forgotten and gradually you see the problems begin to fade away. It's a film with plenty inside and will surely make you feel something. With light hearted humour and fantastically written and Oscar nominated soundtrack, you can't help but enjoy this film. If you're looking for light comedy and in need of uplifting, you can't get more perfect that Begin Again.

8/10

Whiplash

How far would you go to be great?

"I push people beyond what's expected of them, I believe that's an absolute necessity"

Director: Damien Chazelle
Release Date: 2015
Rating: 15
Running Time: 100 mins
Genre: Thriller/Music/Drama
Starring: Miles Teller, JK Simmons

We all had that teacher growing up that we wanted to impress, but never once did we hear the words "Good Job" get spoken to us. Maybe we weren't good enough or maybe they just never took enough notice to realise what we are actually worth. For Shaffer professor and conductor Terrance Fletcher (Simmons), he believes that there are no two words in the English language more harmful. It get's to the point where you have to ask how far can a young talent be pushed to become great? Moreover, how far can a young talent push themselves before they end up falling over the edge? In this case, almost too far.

Set  at Chafer University, one of the top music universities in the world, a young drummer tries everything in his power to prove to his teacher that he can be one of the greats. He pushes himself and pushes himself until his hands bleed but still cannot gain any form of praise from his teacher nor meet with his overly high standards.You could question how good a film about a drummer could really be when presented in the form of a thriller, answer, very good indeed. Something about the directing, quick pace editing and punchy jazz symphonies made for a gripping watch indeed, so much so that the powerful song the young musicians are constantly forced to play, "WHIPLASH", can be heard every time the film gets mentioned.

Probably most famously know for his role as J.Jonah Jameson Jr in Sam Raimi's Spiderman, it's not unfair to say that JK Simmons hasn't really been the front man of any film, but that's all changed now as he's been awrded with not only the BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor but an Accademy Award as well. The role of Terrence Fletcher, is not only a tough one to play, but it's also a very controversial one to view. Everyone who see's Whiplash is going to have there own opinion of the man, some may not like him, some will agree with him and others may just think he's an absolute arsehole. Anyway you look at it, one thing's for sure, JK Simmons sure can shout.

As well as Simmons performance being noticed for his talent, Miles Teller, soon to turn Mr Fantastic later in the year, is starting what appears to be a very good run in Hollywood and was completely brilliant in what could also be called a rather controversial role, alongside supporting actor JK. Having come from US teen party films, he's now entering a strong career of acting ahead of him. And having just hosted the "Sci-Tech" film awards along with Margot Robbing (The Wolf of Wall Street, Focus) he's becoming a very recognised face in popular film culture.

I think Whiplash is a film that all adults can enjoy. It's gripping, tense, frightening and in some parts even funny. An all round well made film that will stay with you for a long time. Thoroughly deserved awards, a fantastically made film.

9/10

Chef

Mouth-Wateringly Funny

Director: John Favreau
Release Date: 2014
Rating: 15
Running Time: 110 mins
Genre: Comedy
Starring: John Favreau, Sofia Vergara, Dustin Hoffman, Robert Downey Jr, Scarlett Johansson

Take a slab of comedy, add a dash of style, a sprinkle of Latin music and finally a big off sandwich van and you've got John Favreau's feel good summer comedy Chef. This film stands out as one of the strongest feel good films of last year being both highly entertaining, heart warming and most of all mouth-wateringly funny.

When Chef Carl quits his job after refusing to work any longer for uptight restaurant owner Dustin Hoffman, he takes it upon himself; with the help of his son, best friend and fellow chef John Leguizamo, and of course twitter, to set up his own mobile sandwich business which might just have turned out to be the best move in his career.

Despite skipping the cinema and going straight to DVD in the UK, if you want a feel good comedy, inspiration of cooking and then this is certainly that fil. Though there's no real complexity to the plot, it's just a good time, simplistic and funny. As Favreau's directorial début it's fair to say he's got talent, with fantastic cinematography making the food look so tempting critics are naming it Food Porn. It was good to see Favreau bring in his Iron Man buddies as well to cameo, with the likes of Scarlett Johansson and Robert Downey Jr, he did pull together a fantastic cast. The chemistry on set between Favreau and his movie son Emjay Anthony was brilliant and I know most child actors never really go on to pursue an adult career in acting but for me, the young star almost stole the film.

Although in parts the humour can be slightly boystrous and somewhat crude, overall it's a very heart-warming family film that's worth giving a watch if you're in the mood for something light and entertaining. Slightly boystrous humour but overlly touching and inspiring. Just make sure you've eaten a good meal before hand as it'll build you up quite an appetite if watched on an empty stomach.

Fantastically feel good.

8/10

Dawn of Planet of The Apes

Some Serious Monkey Business

Director: Matt Reeves
Release Date: 2014
Rating: 12
Running Time: 130 mins
Genre: Action/Drama
Starring: Andy Serkis, Gary Oldman, Jason Clarke

"I always think Apes are better than humans, I see now how similar we are"

Before I was forced to sit down and watch this with some of my family on boxing day just gone, I had never been interested in the Planet of The Apes series at all, nor had I even bothered to watch any of them in the past. To me, monkeys had just never been that interesting on screen. I once tried watching Peter Jackson's King Kong but just couldn't get into it. So having no motivation to watch this CGI'd primate epic with no idea of what had happened previously in Rise of The Planet of The Apes, I sat down recovering from my hangover and tried to watch it and it really didn't take long until I was completely hooked.

I found the whole thing fascinating, it speaks not just on a moral level, but a human level as well, begging the question can we all find a way to live in peace. It speaks truths that not all species are bad, but not any are perfect and there's good and bad on all sides. Despite the war and violence that goes on, its a film that I'm sure all audiences can relate to. Having not seen any of the others in the series previously, I'm not sure if all are similar to it's latest instalment. Though I have got to say, it has now made me determined to watch them all and find out.

Andy Serkis revives his role as Cesar, leader of the apes, and its got to be said that, although he may not have been at all recognisable, he still plays the role incredibly well. I would've thought he'd be up for best actor in a leading role at this years Academy Awards, though maybe that's just my opinion. It made me think of how long it would've taken him, in a CGI suit for weeks on end, to get the role just right. Though having played characters such as King Kong and Gollum previously, I'm sure he's no stranger to those climbing into those tight suits with light bulbs stuck all over them. The human characters are also well acted and make it really difficult for us to pick sides on who to support. There's a clear message that there's good and bad on both sides and it's how we choose to act that's important.

There's no denying Dawn of The Planet of The Apes is a film that will really make you think about morals and how we aren't too different from other animals if we work together. It's a film that's got everything from action to romance. An exceptional film.

8/10

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

The Show Must Go On

Director: Alejandro G. Iñárritu
Release Date: 2014
Rating: 15
Running Time: 120 mins
Genre: Comedy/Drama
Starring: Michael Keaton, Ed Norton, Emma Stone, Zach Galifianakis, Naomi Watts

"Aren't you worried people will say you're doing this play to battle the impression that you're a washed up comic strip character?"

As the Oscars draw nearer there are some clear frontrunners for this years nominees coming forward. Birdman is no exception. Nominated for 9 Oscars in the Academy Awards 2015 I reckon that quirky Mexican director Alejandro G. Iñárritu should be feeling pretty confident with his original comedy. There's no doubt Birdman deserves to win something.

When thinking of this film, the thing I've found to have stuck with me the most is it's extraordinary way that it was filmed. Laid out to be one long tracking shot depicting event after event with no cuts what so ever, we soon become wrapped up in the story following the characters over the next few days (literally). We begin with Riggan Thompson (keaton), a washed up actor/celebrity known for his portrayal of the superhero "Birdman" over 20 years prior. Having written, directed and now starring in his new play "What we talk about when we talk about love", we are taken backstage and follow Riggan through a series of bizarre events leading up to curtain call on opening night. We follow the characters through their interactions constantly changing settings, scenery and places but never once does the camera choose to cut away from the continuous tracking shot, making it so fantastically filmed and directed. We follow characters into scenes and leave with different ones so it really does feel like a backstage pass as we explore behind the scenes of the Broadway Theatre.

I suppose quite suitably, the film is made to feel a lot like a play, due to it's continuous flowing motion, never jumping ahead. The feel is one perhaps similar to Alfred Hitchcock's Rope (1948) where the film is laid out in the style of a stage performance with only one jump cut in the entire piece. Birdman despite being similar to this, has managed to take the idea one step further and produce film that flows so naturally you notice no cuts or edits in the film despite being filmed over a range of different locations (differing from Rope as the set was only 3 rooms). Mainly we're taken through corridors backstage of the theatre and are shown the way actors work during a performance, but we also go out into the streets of Broadway and into various different locations lead by characters with the camera following the entire time.

This is certainly one of Keaton's finest roles, even giving Beatlejuice a run for his money and I suppose this means the time has come to finally forgive him for the year he had previously. I'm ready to let Robocop and Need For Speed go now Mike, you've definitely still got it. Emma Stone has come along way from Zombieland now and it's fair to say she can only get better, especially now she's in with a chance of winning an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. And Ed Norton once again is filling a role he was born to play, is there anything this guy hasn't wowed us in? He brings a big comedy presence to the film playing the douchebag actor who needs the right person to bring the good guy out in him. All the actors bring something different to the role, but above all, they all show the darker side to acting making us not envy working on stage one bit. One of the best moments in the whole film is where we follow Keaton from leaving his dressing room right onto the stage in front of hundreds of people, it's quite an experience being shown how actors work.

It's an amazing achievement to have filmed Birdman in the way that they did, and it's certainly a frontrunner for Best Directing this year, there's a lot of potential in this film that really does deserve to be credited. Funny, original and sharp.

9/10

Horrible Bosses 2

They're Back With A Plan...Alomst As Bad As Their First

Director: Sean Anders
Release Date: 2014
Rating: 15
Running Time: 110 mins
Genre: Comedy
Actors: Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, Chris Pine, Christoph Waltz, Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx

"Y'all are criminals, you tried to kill your bosses, you're trying to perpetrate a kidnapping, you can't have it both ways."

Everybody's three favourite worst criminals are back for more plotting, revenge and plain stupidity in the next instalment of what I'm so hoping will become a franchise. It's a few years on since Dale, Kurt and Nick planned a rather unsuccessful (though not entirely) scheme to kill their bosses that they so loathed, but after time to reflect they're back and this time, not with a bloody motive, but instead with their invention of the "Shower Buddy". With the hope of selling it on to millionaire father & son; Burt and Rex Hanson (Waltz and Pine) they're plan of earning instant wealth and fame is distorted when their invention is ripped off by the Hanson's, leaving the three hopefuls with only one thing on their mind. Not murder, kidnapping.

If you're a fan of the first one then I really don't think you're going to be disappointed with what this sequel's got to offer. The characters have in no way changed or evolved and are still just as dim-wittingly funny as they were in the first. Charlie Day still brings his irrational yet innocent personality he carried through the first, Jason Sudeikis still as charming but massively juvenile as ever, and Jason Bateman still continues his dry sensible father figure role but still just as naive as his two co-conspirators. Together forming perhaps the three dumbest and funniest comic heroes of recent years, (suck on that "The Hangover guys"). Jennifer Aniston still carries a huge presence in this film, quite rightly so, and it's fair to say, she's still got it. Both in the sense of remaining incredibly attractive, but also in the sense that she is still so funny. Kevin Spacey as always is phenomenal, and despite lacking a major role in this film, he is still delivers a fantasticly funny performance. As for Jamie Foxx reviving his role as Dean "Motherfucker" Jones, well the guy's still got style and quite rightly so, gets a slightly bigger role in this sequel, and you never know, there may even be a spin off film "Motherfucker Jones".

Though not being or feeling exactly the same as the first, this sequel is still heavily bedded with the jokes that makes the film's have a very original comedy. The jokes do have a real Horrible Bosses feel to them, and I think that's got something to do with these characters working so well as a trio. Despite their rather serious story lines. the film just keeps managing to steer well away from all drama keeping the genre pure comedy, which for this particular film works perfectly. It does manage to avoid the cliché American toilet humour that we've seen in other recent comedies but still carries a slightly boyish undertone, what with the protagonists basically being three grown up children. I'll be honest, if you're expecting Citizen Kane or The Godfather, then this may not be the right one for you, but as a film lover myself, I do rate this film very highly.

8/10

A Long Way Down

You'll Wish They Just Jumped

Director: Pascal Chaumeil
Release Date: 2014
Rating: 15
Running Time: 95 mins
Genre: Drama/Comedy
Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Aaron Paul, Imogen Poots, Toni Collette

"We belong together, we're a team. I mean, we're the worst team ever and if I was picking none of you would've made it onto the subs bench but still."

I'll be honest, I'd heard this film wasn't all it was cracked up to be long before I actually came to watching it. But you have got to ask yourself how good can a film really be when it's about 4 suicidal people pledging they won't kill themselves no matter how bad life is? Answer, not very. I decided I'd still give it a watch none the less, even if it was just in the hope that Aaron Paul would redeem himself after Need For Speed.

It wasn't that it was a bad film but I would've thought the Britishness in the film would bring out some of the dark humour us brits love, and it did, perhaps a little too much though. Though whole film was so morbid and depressing, even when they try to be happy they can't. It just felt like a drama about 4 people with serious problems that should really be in therapy rather than flying off together for a holiday away from all the drama back home. It did, I suppose, carry a message (though not very well), that no matter how hard life can be, you can solve your problems..if you see a therapist, not going travelling with three other people as damaged as yourself. Sad to say you will have to sit through a lot of stuff that might make you want to jump off a roof.

Overall, there just wasn't anything too it. A Long Way Down was never going to win Oscars, but you'd think there would be more too it than what we can all predict just from the poster. I'll try not to spoil it, but everything you think will happen probably does and you're also probably not going to come out of watching it a changed person. But hey, as long as they had fun making it right?

Come on Aaron, we all know you can do better, you were Jesse Pinkman for crying out loud!

4/10

Before I Go To Sleep

50 First Dates Gone Seriously Wrong

Director: Rowan Joffe
Release Date: 2014
Rating: 15
Running Time: 90mins
Genre: Thriller/Drama
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth, Mark Strong

"As I sleep tonight my mind will erase everything I knew today"

One of the main things I'd always hope to see in cinemas are films with good twists. Though you should never ideally expect them to appear when watching a film, there's no denying that if you know there's a good one, you'll want to see the film. What I've found is that audiences either love to be tricked, or love to be able to guess endings and avoid the tricks that films can play. Either way, they can be great fun. So when I first saw the trailer for Before I Go To Sleep, everything about it screamed "twist", and one that would keep you guessing at that.

Christine Lucas (Kidman) is an amnesiac waking everyday with no memory of what had happened the night before, not knowing who or what she can trust, even herself for that matter. As she tries to peice together the incidents leading up to her memory loss, she realises that each person around her begins to hold a potential threat to her. No one will know who to trust. She is faced with the dilemma of who she can really rely on, the estranged man she wakes up to everyday who she is married to (Firth), or the man who calls her everyday claiming to be a psychiatrist wanting to help recover her memory (Strong). Both of whom she has absolutely no recollection of causing her to be unsure of whether she can trust either of them.

In a way, without our memories then we aren't really anything. It's our memories that make us the people that we are. Everything we do has a reaction that can shape our personalities. For Christine, we're shown how life can become unbearable to live, if the people closest to us are strangers. For the audience watching, we ourselves can't even work out who is trustworthy and who isn't and when you think one thing, it's probably the opposite. The way Before I Go To Sleep is written is actually very clever. On the outside it's a seemingly peaceful life, an ideal husband and beautiful house. But inside, she's plagued by fear that her history is being written for her instead of by her, and as she learns more about her feared past she realises how much danger she's actually in. There's a real darkness embedded in the film that will straight away pull you in as you grow determined to find out what's really going on.

7/10

12 Years A Slave

The True Story of Slavery

Director: Steve McQueen

Release Date: 2013

Rating: 15

Running Time: 120 mins

Genre: Biography/Drama

Actors: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Brad Pitt

"I don't want to survive, I want to live."

It's been out for over a year now and I have only just managed to see 12 Years A Slave. I'd heard people say what an amazing film it was, and then seeing it go on to win the Academy Award last year for best film, it was a film definitely worth seeing. Yet, I had also heard how many had found it a hard film to watch. It's of course obvious that a film about slavery, particularly this story of a man stripped of his life and sold into another, would cause some upset, but having finally seen it, I must be honest, I loved it.

The film opens with Solomon Northup (Ejiofor), a free black man from New York, happily living his life with his wife and children. Known for his talent on a violin he's approached by two men keen to have him play in Washington with them, Solomon agreeing to this ventures to Washington with the two men but it's not long before he wakes up shackled and chained with a handful more black people and made to become slaves. We follow Solomon on his incredible story stretched over 12 years, where against all odds he fights to get home.

Though perhaps not the most well known actor before this, there's no doubt Chiwetel Ejiofor will be much more renowned now after his performance as Solomon. The man is a terrific actor and plays the role so well despite not even being American, plays a believable and immediately likable character, we feel everything he feels with him. I thought that at last years Academy Awards Matthew McConoughey did deserve the Oscar having been utterly brilliant in Dallas Buyers Club, but now having seen 12 Years, it must've been a tremendously close call between the two. Having seen Ejiofor previously as Okwe, in the British Drama Dirty Pretty Things (2002) it was great to see him again ten years on still performing as inspirational people, whose stories are centred around survival and hope. I'm sure there's more to see from the actor that's got an Oscar waiting for him to steal.

Solomon Northup's story is one of survival and the evil that existed in the 19th century. It shows a much different world to one that exists today but a world that should never be forgotten. 12 Years A Slave can be regarded as one of the most inspirational stories of freedom against slavery and they picked the right man to show it to us. There's no denying that Steve McQueen is an absolute visionary when it comes to his cinematography and style of filming. Having started his career in the art world anyway, he has this unique way of showing the world from it's beautiful scenery contrasted with the cruelty against humanity that went on. The two contradictions emphasize the decay of humanity in such a horrible place that had such beauty.

Though it is a harrowing film, and not one for a feel good Friday night, 12 Years A Slave is a story that everyone should know, and no one should forget. An inspiring and moving film.

10/10