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