Cast: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert DeNiro, Jackie Weaver, Chris Tucker
Director: David O Russell
Synopsis: As a former mental institution patient moves back in with his parents and seeks to make amends and rebuild his life, he comes into contact with a woman who has also been battling her own problems.
Review: You would think that if you were about to sit down and watch a film about someone having emerged from a mental institution seeking to turn his fortunes around in life, then said film would struggle to find its feet and its voice as a comedy, with very few laughs. Well you couldn’t have been more wrong, because in the capable hands of screenwriter and director David O Russell, adapting from the novel of the same name by Matthew Quick, this romantic comedy packs plenty of heart, drama and unsurprisingly comedy into its 2 hour run time, and it does all this extremely effectively.
Pat Solitano (Cooper) is a man who has just come out of a mental institution after seeing his marriage hit the rocks and fall apart. But after his release, he is looking up, and feeling confident of making amends and moving forward. This is until he meets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) a woman who is going through her own set of problems. When she comes onto the scene, things begin to take an interesting turn as these two begin to realise that they have a lot more in common than they care to think.
After the success that was his 2010 film, The Fighter, a film with a tremendously strong cast, Russell again manages to put together another very strong cast all of whom excel in their roles. You have Robert DeNiro and Jacki Weaver as Pat’s wacky parents who are doing their best to help Pat rebuild his life, with a surprisingly funny and effective performance from Chris Tucker too. Yet, it is the performances of our two leaders in Cooper and Lawrence that truly steal the show. Their chemistry together is electric to watch and they have more than a few very memorable scenes together, with one scene in a diner standing out by far among many terrific scenes.
The film became the first film since 1981 to secure nominations in all four acting categories, and was the first since 2004’s Million Dollar Baby to be nominated for the Big Five Oscars. Lawrence was the only one to secure a trophy, and to be fair, she is the true star of the show. She manages to blend crazy antics and real heart and emotion into her performance. All of the performances are of such a very high standard, you could almost think that you weren’t actually watching a film, but real life instead. In the same year that she shot to stardom with The Hunger Games, Lawrence proved to the world that she is a force to be reckoned with, something that she is still demonstrating today. While Cooper didn’t take home the statue, his work was equally electrifying, and arguably to this day ranks as a career best performance. If it had not been for a sublime performance from Daniel Day Lewis in Lincoln, he might have won a statue himself.
The screenplay by Russell is equally terrific. Of course there are some dark moments that goes without saying, but there are plenty of funny and dramatic moments as well, and they all work. He manages to fuse all of these elements into the story very successfully and the story is very compelling to watch. There are highs but there are plenty of very low lows and you feel for all of the characters, as they are extremely well developed. But as the film makes a lot of effort to point out, every cloud has a silver lining, and in the case of this film, that silver lining is despite the somewhat dark subject matter, it produced one hell of a good movie that’s extremely entertaining to watch, and definitely ranks as one of Russell’s best movies.
Acted to perfection, with star performances from Cooper and especially Lawrence, with a terrific screenplay that packs heart and comedy aplenty.
Image credit: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Well it is that time of year again! Awards season in the world of movies, and Hollywood’s biggest night in the form of the Oscars has arrived! The bow ties will be being tied, the dresses will have been chosen Well what a year of movies we have had! The 2007/08 housing crisis, A return to a galaxy far far away, eight angry strangers stuck in a blizzard, the scandal of the Catholic Priests abuse, the return of an icon of cinema in Rocky Balboa, Cold War drama, and a romance between two women and many more. Lots of great movies and great performances, but as usual a lot of snubs too, most notably in the acting categories
Controversially, for the second year running, all 20 of the acting nominees are white, leading to the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag trending throughout social media. Some have elected to even boycott the ceremony in response to this snub. While there were opportunities for the Academy to nominate some incredible performances from some talented black actors and directors, the problem is more to do with Hollywood itself rather than the Academy. It is important that the Academy is taking measures to do something about this, because it is a problem, and one that you would hope we don’t see again when it comes to the 89th Academy Awards in 12 months time.
Anyhow, tonight will be the night that the all the hard work of all the actors, directors, composers, cinematographers, costume designers, sound editors, visual effects will be recognised, but of course there can only be one winner in this category, and so I give you my hopes and predictions for this year’s awards, as well as some of those who I feel could have been nominated. Let’s get started!
5 remarkable performances from all here, and perhaps the most open category of all the acting nominations, Stallone and Rylance have both been claiming the honours throughout awards season, so one would think it’s between them. Tom Hardy was a massive surprise nod, given he did not at all feature in any of the awards shows previously, but his inclusion is well deserved, whilst Mark Ruffalo’s turn in the journalism drama Spotlight was heart-wrenching to watch, but very powerful and arguably a career best work from him. I would like to see Ruffalo triumph but I think this one is Sly’s for the taking.
Who I think will win: Sylvester Stallone
Who I think should win: Mark Ruffalo
Who I think should have been nominated: Idris Elba (Beasts of No Nation) or Jacob Tremblay (Room)
Another very open category, and again a good batch of performances. Kate Winslet has been taking some of the awards for her work in Steve Jobs, but Alicia Vikander and Rooney Mara have received wide praise for their work in The Danish Girl and Carol respectively, but some have argued that these ladies should be in the lead actress categories, while Vikander should arguably be nominated for her magnificent work in Ex Machina. While Jennifer Jason Leigh’s work in The Hateful Eight was also excellent, and was one of the standouts in a very well acted film. It’s going to be a very tight contest.
Who I think will win: Kate Winslet
Who I think should win: Jennifer Jason Leigh
Who I think should have been nominated: Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina)
This category is not the strongest it could be, Quentin Tarantino’s work on The Hateful Eight is a notable absentee from this list, and while I immensely enjoyed his work, it was not his finest writing not by a long shot. The clear favourite among this year’s crop is Spotlight, a movie that was driven by dialogue that was just enthralling to watch, and really made you think when the credits began to roll, it’s odds on and one would have few complaints should it emerge victorious. That said, Ex Machina was also insanely gripping, while Inside Out, as well as being my favourite movie of 2015, could arguably lay claim to be Pixar’s finest work. Nevertheless, this is Spotlight’s to lose.
A category that is much stronger than its counterpart. The Big Short has been taking many awards in this awards season, and while it was funny it places, I really feel it fell flat in places as it just overloaded the audience with too much economical mumbo jumbo that unless they were well versed in the subject, it would sail over their heads. Emma Donoghue’s Room was a dark but uplifting tale, while Drew Goddard made one man’s solitude on Mars, a lot funnier than it could and maybe should have been. The Big Short is definitely the favourite though.
What I think will win: The Big Short
What I think should win: The Martian
What I think should have been nominated: Aaron Sorkin- Steve Jobs
This seems to be a two horse race between Inside Out and Anomalisa, which is yet to reach UK shores, but has received a lot of praise. However I cannot see anything dethroning Pixar’s work of utter genius.
As much as I enjoyed John Williams’s score for our return to a far away galaxy, Ennio Morricone’s work on The Hateful Eight was incredible and will probably take home the award.
Who I think will win: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Who I think should win: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
What should have been nominated: Ant Man
Best Film Editing
The Big Short- Hank Corwin
Mad Max: Fury Road- Margaret Sixel
The Revenant- Stephen Mirrione
Spotlight- Tom McArdle
Star Wars: The Force Awakens- Maryann Brandon and Mary Jo Markey
The editing in The Big Short really bugged me and is one of my main gripes about the film, its editing is scrappy and made to look almost like a documentary, whereas it just looked really scrappy. The editing in Mad Max was crisp, likewise with the Force Awakens, so I would like to see either of those two win, although Big Short is the favourite, undeservedly so in my opinion.
Who I think will win: The Big Short
Who I think should win: Star Wars: The Force Awakens or Mad Max: Fury Road
Best Cinematography
Carol- Ed Lachman
The Hateful Eight- Robert Richardson
Mad Max: Fury Road- John Seale
The Revenant- Emmanuel Lubezki
Sicario- Roger Deakins
Despite an incredible 13 nominations and not a single win, Roger Deakins is one of the finest cinematographers working today. Yet I cannot see anything usurping Emmanuel Chivo Lubezki from claiming a hatrick of Oscar wins, and it would be well deserved as The Revenant is visually breath-taking with every single shot, although a win for Deakins would be well deserved.
Who I think will win: Emmanuel Lubezki
Who I think should win: Emmanuel Lubezki
Best Sound Editing
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Sicario
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Who I think will win: Sicario
Who I think should win: Star Wars: The Force Awakens or The Martian
Best Sound Mixing
Bridge of Spies
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Who I think will win: Mad Max: Fury Road
Who I think should win: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Best Director
Adam McKay- The Big Short
George Miller- Mad Max Fury Road
Lenny Abrahamson- Room
Alejandro González Iñárritu- The Revenant
Tom McCarthy- Spotlight
Last year’s in this category, Mr Iñárritu is looking good to win again for his terrific work on the Revenant, and his main competitor is probably George Miller. The Australian showed how to film and direct an action movie, and he did it without a shaky camera in sight. Lenny Abrahamson’s work in Room was also quite an acheivement to be fair, A win for one of those three would be more than a fair decision but I think Alejandro Iñárritu will do the double.
Who I think will win: Alejandro G. Iñárritu
Who I think should win: George Miller
Who I think should have been nominated: Ryan Coogler (Creed) or JJ Abrams (Star Wars- The Force Awakens)
While she remains one of my favourite actresses, and her performance was the bright spark, Jennifer Lawrence does not deserve to be the one clutching the statue this time around, and for me is fortunate to be nominated at all. Cate Blanchett did do some amazing work in Carol, but it would be a major shock if Brie Larson doesn’t triumph. Her work in Room was heartbreaking to watch, but she gave a terrific performance that is absolutely deserving of an award. However, two ladies I do think deserved nods here are Charlize Theron and Daisy Ridley. The former outshone Tom Hardy in Mad Max, while Ridley delivered a superb breakthrough performance in the year’s biggest movie. She stole the show and even though it’s a blockbuster, she deserved it. Even if they had both been nominated, this is Larson’s trophy.
Who I think will win: Brie Larson
Who I think should win: Brie Larson
Who I think should have been nominated: Charlize Theron (Mad Max Fury Road) and Daisy Ridley (Star Wars: The Force Awakens)
Best Actor
Bryan Cranston- Trumbo
Matt Damon- The Martian
Leonardo DiCaprio- The Revenant
Michael Fassbender- Steve Jobs
Eddie Redmayne- The Danish Girl
Like the lead actor category, this one is almost certainly nailed on to be the moment Leonardo DiCaprio FINALLY wins that Oscar. He would absolutely deserve it as his work in the Revenant was truly extraordinary. I mean, eating raw liver to get into the role is commitment. Michael Fassbender did do a great job as Steve Jobs, and Matt Damon’s work in The Martian was also top notch, but I cannot see The Academy giving this award to anyone other than Leo, sixth time’s a charm (hopefully)
Who I think will win: Leonardo DiCaprio
Who I think should win: Leonardo DiCaprio
Who I think should have been nominated: Michael B Jordan (Creed)
Best Picture
The Big Short
Bridge of Spies
Brooklyn
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Room
Spotlight
With ten slots open I don’t understand why the Academy chose to nominate only eight as there were more than enough good films to give the final two slots to. And while I feel that the majority of these movies do deserve to be up for this award, The Big Short is for me extremely fortunate to be up there. Nevertheless, out of those scrapping for the honour, the three top contenders in my eyes, are The Revenant, Spotlight and Mad Max Fury Road. While Mad Max did fall a bit short for me in terms of its script (weak villain mainly) it was an enthralling time and impressive given its long spell in development hell. The Revenant has got its BAFTA triumph going for it but Spotlight has been taking some crowns along the way too, so it’s an open race. Any of the three would be deserving winners but I have a sneaking suspicion that The Revenant will take the top prize, but Mad Max or Spotlight may yet sneak a win.
Who I think will win: The Revenant
Who I think should win: Spotlight or The Revenant
Who I think should have been nominated: Inside Out, Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Ex Machina
Whatever happens, the movie world should be in for a fun and enjoyable evening!
All image rights belong to Big Talk Films and Universal Pictures
Scott Pilgrim VS The World – Film Review
Cast: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Anna Kendrick, Chris Evans, Brandon Routh, Jason Schwartzman,
Director: Edgar Wright
Synopsis: Scott Pilgrim is a 22 year old who is on a road to nowhere until he meets a girl he rather likes. Only problem is that in order to win his affection he has to battle all of her exes.
Review: Movies based off video games do not have a good record of being any good, and for the most part, they do struggle to achieve greatness. and some are just flat out terrible. However every so often, one movie comes along that uses elements from video games in order to tell the story. 2014’s Edge of Tomorrow for instance, with the constant re-spawning. Edgar Wright’s 2010 offering, with the screenplay penned by Wright and Michael Bacall, adapting from the series of graphic novels by Bryan Lee O’Malley, also uses video game elements. It does this whilst also telling a love story, and uses them to brilliant, if slightly bonkers results, and one that will make anyone watching, their inner nerd extremely happy.
The focus of the story is Scott (Cera), a guy who no doubt many men who watch this movie will relate to. He looks for the direction in life, whilst striving to achieve greatness for his band, whilst also trying to win the affections of that special girl. Lo and behold he stumbles across the the girl of his dreams, in this instance it’s Ramona Flowers (Winstead.) Yet unbeknown to Scott, this lady has seven evil exes that Scott must do battle with, Tekken and Soul Calibur style, in order to win over her affection. Wright manages to fuse video game like tropes and live action very well, and the battles with the exes are somewhat ridiculous, but they are extremely entertaining to watch. There are some quirky and unique methods that Wright inserts throughout the film in order to tell the story, and sometimes to convey the awkwardness in some situations. The whole fight scenes are just like if video games, anime and movies all merged into one glorious package.
Romance in movies like these can sometimes feel forced and shoehorned into the story, but in this instance, not so. There is strong chemistry between Scott and Ramona, and you want to see them make it work, there is just the small matter of those crazy exes that Scott has to deal with, including battles with a former Superman in Brandon Routh and a pre-Captain America Chris Evans! No one ever said the hero had it easy! Michael Cera gives a great performance as Scott, he’s dorky, and a bit useless, but you just can’t help wanting to root for him. As Ramona, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, also brings her A game as Ramona, she’s not that weirdo ex, but a friend and someone Scott can turn to as he battles through the crazy exes. The rest of the cast including the likes of Anna Kendrick and Jason Schwartzman all play their roles brilliantly.
If you were to try and compare this film to another movie, you’d be hard pressed to find one similar. It’s a very unique film in this regard, and one that if it had been placed in the wrong hands, could have failed badly. Fortunately as it was in Wright’s very capable hands, it passed with flying colours. The quirky humour that Wright is brilliant, is packed throughout the film and it works perfectly. The opening of the movie is a little sluggish and slow to get going, but once the console of the film is fired up, the entertainment and the laughs will carry on all the way to the credits. This is a perfect example of a video game movie done right, even though it is not based on a video game. Nevertheless, for video game lovers out there, this is your movie.
Original, unique and very entertaining, with some top performances and some ridiculously funny fight scenes and video game references aplenty, to make the nerd in all of us extremely happy!
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, TJ Miller, Brianna Hildebrand, Ed Skrein
Director: Tim Miller
Synopsis: When an operation goes awry for former mercenary Wade Wilson, he gains super healing abilities and adopts the alter ego of “Deadpool”
Review: It goes without saying that comic book movies have surged massively in popularity in recent years, becoming a staple of Hollywood in the process. However, for all the films that have graced our screens, we have yet to encounter a comic book film that pushes all the boundaries it can, and goes in directions that very few have gone in. Well, thanks to the Merc with a Mouth, we have now.
It has been a long time coming, as the film has had a difficult journey to the big screen, after being in development hell for many years. A now infamous “appearance” in the much-reviled X-Men Origins: Wolverine, infuriated the fans who felt it was not true to the comics. Thanks to 2014’s Days of Future Past, those events are now banished forever. When test footage leaked back in 2014, it finally prompted 20th Century Fox to move forward with a solo outing for him, one that has remained very loyal to the comics and will no doubt leave hardcore Deadpool fans, very satisfied indeed.
Deadpool is not the first superhero character Ryan Reynolds has portrayed, as he had a lead role in the 2011 Green Lantern flick. But having had an interest in playing this role since 2005, it is apparent that this character is his favourite and it’s very evident he’s having enormous fun playing the role, and he’s electrifying to watch. The dark humour, the crude jokes, the profanity, the breaking of the fourth wall repeatedly, the violence. It’s all on show here and it provides the audience with some glorious entertainment right from the opening credits. In addition, the film gleefully makes light-hearted pops at other films and other superhero movies with great aplomb. The laughs are packed throughout the 108-minute running time, with some violent action also thrown in there for good measure, which is tremendously well handled by Tim Miller in his directorial debut.
This is the Deadpool show, but he does have some help in the shape of steel man mountain Colussus and newbie Negasonic Teenage Warhead, who are helping him confront the man who was responsible for Wade’s disfigurement, this being Ed Skrein’s Ajax. British actors are known for their portrayals of villains, indeed the opening credits make a joke about this fact. Ed Skrein does a tremendous job with the material he’s given but his character is never properly fleshed out and is not given the ample screen time to really elevate him above the majority of the villains that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has provided. The action is well filmed and provides some great viewing. Lots of action with sequence after sequence can sometimes feel like overkill (Man of Steel anyone?) But while there is a fair quantity of action on show, it would have been great to see just a little bit more, as some sequences are over before they had a chance to get going.
The disappointment of 2011’s Green Lantern as well as the misfire that was his appearance in Origins: Wolverine might have killed Ryan Reynolds’ hopes of making it in the superhero world of cinema, and for a while it did kill Deadpool’s hopes of a worthy cinematic outing. Yet his dogged determination to get this adaptation of a character he has an obvious passion for is admirable. The plot is a little bit formulaic but the film’s storming box office success has already resulted in a sequel being green lit. The Merc With a Mouth has ensured that 2016’s comic book movie offerings have got off to a terrific start.
Crude, dark jokes aplenty packed with Tarantino-esque violent action scenes. This is the Deadpool film that the fans have been waiting for.
Image rights belong to Anonymous Content, First Look Media, Participant Media, Rocklin/Faust and Open Road Films
Spotlight – Film Review
Cast: Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, John Slattery, Stanley Tucci, Liev Schreiber, Brian D’Arcy James
Director: Tom McCarthy
Synopsis: Telling the true story of a group of journalists working for the Boston Globe newspaper who uncover the horrific details of child molestation at the hands of Catholic priests and the subsequent attempts to hush everything up.
Review: Every so often in the world of news and current affairs, along comes a story that is so shocking and galling for a number of reasons, it would cause you to read your newspaper, watch your television, or listen to the radio with just disbelief and horror that such an event came to pass. Many stories revealing such wickedness often slip under the radar, and do not see the light of day, and that may have been the case for the subject of this powerful drama of the scandal that rocked not only the Catholic Church, but the entire world to its core. It may well have not reached the public’s attention, if it wasn’t for the grit and graft of some brave journalists.
The screenplay, penned by McCarthy and Josh Singer, which was on the 2013 Black List of unproduced screenplays pulls no punches whatsoever. The story is gripping, and disturbing at the same time. When nudged by an incoming new editor in the direction of the scandal, the team of journalists quickly begin to find something deeply disturbing, and as the film goes on, interview after interview, the full extent of the scandal emerges on the team and the full realisation of the crimes that have been committed come into view. The dialogue scene to scene keeps the attention of the viewer transfixed on the screen. With each conversation, whether with a lawyer, some victims, some people within the church, or whoever it may be, the team show great tenacity to dig deeper and deeper scratching every surface they can until there’s a story for them to run. It’s a dialogue driven film, but when it’s written this well, it’s riveting to watch.
The ensemble cast each deliver truly excellent performances, but it’s the performances of the Spotlight team in particular that shine the brightest. After his Oscar nominated turn as a washed up superhero in Birdman, Michael Keaton delivers another excellent performance as the editor of the team that comprises of Rachel McAdams’s Sacha Pfeiffer, Mark Ruffalo’s Michael Rezendes and Brian D’Arcy James’s Matt Carroll with John Slattery’s Ben Bradlee Jr. and Liev Schreiber’s newly appointed editor Marty Baron keeping a watchful eye over things. All excel but the standout performances are that of Mark Ruffalo and Rachel McAdams, who have both gained well earned Oscar nominations for the Best Supporting Actor and Actress respectively. Ruffalo in particular has an almost Hulk-esque moment at one point when the full depravity of the scandal comes becomes very crystal clear.
With such a delicate and controversial subject matter, approaching this film cannot have been easy for McCarthy and Singer, yet it is handled tremendously well. The direction is subtle but it emphasises is firmly on the need for justice for the victims. The reporters are not patting themselves on the back and having a drink celebrating at such a big scoop, instead they’re just aghast at what they have observed during their investigation. It is uncompromisingly brutal when the penny drops and there is a need and a desire to print their story and bring the perpetrators to full justice. In this day and age when the internet is taking over the journalism and publishing industry, it just goes to show that through real grit, determination and hard work, shocking truths such as these, can be brought to the attention of the public, and full credit to the brave journalists who did so.
Uncompromisingly brutal when it comes to the subject matter, with terrific performances and excellent well written dialogue, Spotlight will shake you to your core.
Image rights belong to Plan B Entertainment, Regency Enterprises and Paramount Pictures
The Big Short – Film Review
Cast: Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt
Director: Adam McKay
Synopsis: An account of a group of people who foresaw the collapse of the housing market and the crumbling of the world’s economy in 2008.
Review: When the world’s economy went pretty much to shit in the latter half of the noughties, one thing we all knew was that the global economic situation was in complete disarray, with jobs being lost and lives ruined. But the vast majority probably had no idea who was to blame, why this happened, could it have been prevented and did anyone see this enormous mess coming? The answer to all of those questions is yes, four individuals to be precise who not only saw what was coming, but decided to do something about it and challenge the banks on their greed and their failure to avoid this catastrophe. Enter Anchorman director Adam McKay and screenwriter Charles Randolph, giving the account of how the entire world’s economy crashed and burned.
The account follows three different groups of people, who at various stages foresaw the impending doom, and each goes about their responses in very interesting ways. Firstly you have Christian Bale’s drumming, no shoes wearing kind of guy who likes to listen to metal music whilst foreseeing the imminent disaster via numbers on a screen. Then we have Steve Carrell’s melancholic hedge fund manager who teams up with Ryan Gosling’s trader, and finally we have Brad Pitt’s veteran banker, aided by two newbie investors. Through these three perspectives McKay flits between them as the months go by, and the financial crash looms on the horizon. The acting from all is of a very good calibre, with Bale being the stand-out amongst the ensemble and ensuring another Oscar nomination comes his way. After his unique role in Foxcatcher, Steve Carell again shows he too is a force to be reckoned with as he, mixing grumpiness and comedy surprisingly well.
Your average viewer is in all probability not going to have much clue when it comes to explaining the reasons behind the economic crash, and lots of the economic terminology are likely to sail over their heads. Therefore in order to understand the specific terminology that the cast are speaking of, there are some amusing celebrity cameos who are there for the purposes of dumbing it down so that those audience members who are not well versed in economics are able to catch their drift. There is humour peppered throughout to keep the story flowing, something McKay knows very well from his Anchorman days, and it does to a certain extent. However due to the vast amount of financial terminology, it means the story does falter a little bit. The interest in the story does diminish, which it shouldn’t given the impact that this crash undoubtedly had on many people the world over.
McKay presents his vision of this story almost documentary like with a lot of use of hand held cam in a handful of scenes. There is also a lot of breaking the fourth wall with the characters taking the audience for a ride. Yet the breaking of the fourth wall and the use of handheld cam does not always work. The latter in particular, it makes it look a bit sloppy and badly edited. And as this style is not always implemented, the film lacks a bit of consistency in terms of delivery and tone. It tries to be both a comedy and a documentary, and while sometimes it does work, others it really doesn’t. The film is probably the best attempt at telling the story of the housing crash, but even then, unless you’re very well versed in economics and all that jazz, the film is probably going to leave the audience found wanting when the credits begin to roll.
The acting is of a very decent order, with a solid enough script but unless you’re well versed in economics and the whole crisis, you may not be as interested in the story as you perhaps ought to be.
Image rights belong to Element Pictures, No Trace Camping, Film4 and A24 Films
Room – Film Review
Cast: Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay
Director: Lenny Abrahamson
Synopsis: A mother and her son are locked in a tiny room and are being held captive, and these four walls are all the boy knows of the outside world.
Review: As human beings, we all know of the world we live in. The wonders and sometimes horrors of our world can inspire, they can amaze, and they can horrify in equal measure. We’re accustomed to our surroundings, and our homes. So imagine if the four walls of a small shed were all you knew of the world, and what you called home, and you had no idea of what exists beyond those walls. Well for young Jack (Jacob Tremblay) that is exactly what he thinks. His mother on the other hand knows that there is life beyond their solitary confinement but she hasn’t seen it in seven long years after being kidnapped. But she has her little boy, and that is keeping her going through all the years of captivity and hardship that she has endured.
The screenplay, written by Emma Donoghue which is adapted from her book of the same name, is very heart-wrenching, and there are some uncomfortable moments in the early stages. There is a very obvious inspiration (if you can call it that) to the tale of one Josef Fritzl. Yet despite the hardship and somewhat lack of space that the two of them do have those rare moments of joy and happiness between them, and these are a joy to watch as the audience is almost constantly reminded of the bleak reality of their situation, this is until they make a plan to escape their captivity. Director Lenny Abrahamson does a tremendous job of putting the audience in the position of our characters, you feel as though you are in these awful surroundings with them, and through brilliant camera work, he is able to provide new views on the tiny surroundings, quite incredible considering that it’s a very small shed.
The acting on show, particularly from our two main stars is tremendous. Brie Larson especially giving a career defining performance as the troubled mother. You really feel for her character and what she’s going through and it is heart breaking to watch her go through the torment of captivity. She has been picking up plenty of awards in this awards season and she stands every chance of adding the Academy Award to her collection. Young Jacob Tremblay is also fantastic in what is one of the best child performances in a long time. He’s convinced that “room” is all that exists in the world, that people on TV are not real, and his conviction is very real and tremendously powerful. Awards have come his way too, and like with his co-star, very well deserved ones at that.
The story has some very dark moments that could make Room uncomfortable viewing for some, and while it is a very impactful script, there a few things that are left unanswered or unexplained, things that you would have thought that they would have touched upon in a bit more detail. Nevertheless, the film remains a moving story to watch, with some tremendous acting and directing, and proves just how powerful the love a mother has for her child, no matter the desperate or horrific circumstances of a situation, is truly unbreakable.
Two very powerful performances anchor this incredible story, that is both heart-breaking and uplifting in equal measure
Image is property of Fox 2000 Pictures, Davis Entertainment Company, Annapurna Pictures, TSG Entertainment and 20th Century Fox
Joy – Film Review
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Robert DeNiro, Bradley Cooper, Edgar Ramirez, Diane Ladd
Director: David O Russell
Synopsis: An account of the life of Joy Mangano, and her journey as an inventor and entrepreneur, with her main invention, the Miracle Mop.
Review: To become a very successful entrepreneur, a person would need a lot of charisma, determination and a relentless desire to succeed, as well as having an obvious passion for the product or products they are hoping to bring to the market. But if you happen to have a somewhat dysfunctional family life, and find things going wrong here there and everywhere, it would almost certainly make the challenges even harder than they already would be. These are the challenges that face Joy as she aims to revolutionise the market with her invention the Miracle Mop.
A mother who refuses to get off her bed and does nothing but watch TV, ex-husband living in the basement, deadbeat dad, as well as a mother to two children, Joy has just about everything she could going against her, but through all of this, she does possess that relentlessness, that desire, and that belief in her product, and it ensures that David O Russell’s third team up with Jennifer Lawrence as the titular character is an interesting watch, but it is not all plain sailing for Joy as she bids to get her product to market, things go wrong, a lot of the time. Yet that belief and will to succeed persists her to keep going in spite of the adversity she does go through is extremely uplifting.
As she has been in her last two links up with Russell, Jennifer Lawrence is once again excellent in the main role. She possess the aforementioned charisma and relentlessness in abundance, and it’s her performance that drives the plot forward, because except for a kind of comical performance from Robert DeNiro, the majority rest of the cast are just not interesting or engaging enough for the audience to really care about. There is one exception to this, that of Bradley Cooper’s character who does a massive favour for Joy, but even then his screen time is fairly limited. This is once again the Jennifer Lawrence show, and she clearly thrives under the direction of David O Russell. It’s by no means her strongest performance under Russell’s tutelage but it ensured another Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.
Yet it does not have the emotional punch that the likes of The Fighter or Silver Linings Playbook had, or the brilliant ensemble cast that American Hustle boasted, with that awesome humour. The film takes its time to really get things going in the beginning, the film doesn’t quite know where it really wants to go, and is a little bit messy when it comes to its script and direction. Is it a happy film, or is it a sad film? In reality it’s probably a bit of both. Once it finds its spark, however it runs with it, and by the end there is some satisfying closure. Yet the build up in getting there was frustratingly slow. Although the film’s title is clearly referring to the main character and not the emotion, there’s not a lot of joyfulness to be found here.
A strong lead performance by Lawrence, but the film is bogged down by a lack of connection for the rest of the cast, as well as a real inconsistency in terms of the film’s tone and direction.
2015, a year that broke box office records here, there and everywhere! A return to a galaxy far far away, more dinosaurs, more superheroes, a fair few spy movies, the revival of some long running franchises, and some original pieces of work thrown into the mix as well. It was a promising year for movies, and it some cases it delivered, some it did not. In any case, there were more than a handful of great movies that came out in 2015. With all that said it is time, now that some of those limited release films that came out at the end of the year have reached me here in the UK ( I am classing these as 2015 releases, as per IMDB) With that said, I now give you my picks for the 10 best movies of the year.
One thing to bear in mind, is that grades here do not matter, a film may get a high grade or the perfect grade, it will not necessarily mean that film will be the best film of the year, this is my list of my favourite movies that I had the most fun with or enjoyed the most. Before I get into the body of my list I do have some honourable mentions, films that were awesome and that didn’t quite make the list with there being 10 spaces, but were still a lot of fun.
The first of these isKingsman: The Secret Service, this movie knew it was a silly spy movie, but it was extremely entertaining and very violent in places, but the action was extremely exciting, and we got to see Colin Firth beat people up! Next up is Spectre, the 24th James Bond film. Now I know some people, including one very good friend of mine, did not like this movie at all but I thought it was a well directed film with some great action sequences, and a very sexy but badass Bond girl in Lea Seydoux. The villain played by Christoph Waltz was admittedly a little underutilised, and while it did revert to established Bond formula a bit too much, it was still a blast to watch, although it’s not on the same level as Skyfall or Casino Royale. Third is The Walk, the new film by Robert Zemeckis, this was a gripping watch, telling the true story of Phillippe Petit, the man who strung a tightrope between the Twin Towers. While a little slow to get going, the scene where he walks the wire was among the most gripping scenes I saw all year.
When the year began and we had two new MCU films to look forward to, nearly everyone was more excited for Avengers: Age of Ultron than Ant Man, yet for many, the former was a bit of a disappointment, perhaps suffering from very large expectations. And while Ultron certainly was not a massive failure, it was not nearly as enjoyable as Ant Man. When Edgar Wright exited Ant Man, many thought it was a doomed project destined for failure, yet it came through in great style. Paul Rudd was tremendous as the titular character, Michael Douglas was fantastic as Hank Pym and Evangeline Lilly was also in great form, it exceeded all expectations and ensured a sequel has been added into Phase 3 of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe.
The fifth entry in this franchise that continues to pack awesome action and among the handful of spy movies that were released in 2015, Rogue Nation is arguably the best, and has a claim to be the best Mission Impossible movie to date. Tom Cruise as usual doing all of his owns stunts including actually hanging onto a moving plane, as well as the introduction of the awesome Ilsa Faust played by the amazing Rebecca Ferguson, as well more awesome humour providing by the great Simon Pegg. Christopher McQuarrie’s screenplay and direction was excellent and it’s no surprise that he’s back on board to direct the sixth film in the franchise.
A real return to form for director Ridley Scott, whose recent films were disappointments to many, so to see him come back with a truly great movie was awesome to see. Matt Damon was brilliant in the lead role as a man who is left behind on Mars. The screenplay was sharp and surprisingly very humorous given the dire nature of his circumstances, and the rest of the very large cast were also great with the likes of Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels and Sean Bean all giving excellent performances, with amazing visuals and outstanding special effects that were almost a throwback to Scott’s early science fiction roots.
The fourth film in this franchise, and the film that could and should rewrite the book on how to film action movies. It was an utterly thrilling film filled with practical effects and mind blowing action sequences, with cars, explosions and flaming guitars to boot, and not a shaky camera to be found anywhere. Tom Hardy didn’t have much dialogue but he was excellent in the title role, but the person who stole the show was undoubtedly that of Furiosa, played by Charlize Theron, showing Hollywood writers how to write an awesome badass female character who doesn’t need a man to show what a strong character she can be. Take note please writers and directors!!!
The eight film by Mr Quentin Tarantino, and another superb addition to his near flawless filmography. A brilliantly shot film with wonderful cinematography, a terrific score by Ennio Morricone, and a tremendously talented cast including Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Samuel L Jackson, it’s not quite on the same level as Inglorious Basterds or Django Unchained, but it was still a well written and very entertaining film with a great mystery at its core that was just fascinating to witness on the big screen, of course with Tarantino’s signature dialogue and violence.
The seventh instalment of this series, and it might just be the best the series has ever produced, certainly one of the best performances ever from Sly Stallone that has been ensuring he has received well deserved awards nominations and victories, but another top notch performance from Michael B Jordan. The fight scenes were tremendously well handled, and the story to boot, whilst taking many notes from the original, was an inspired decision as we have a new Rocky for a new generation.
In this age of films when prequels, sequels and reboots dominate, it is always refreshing to see an original film be brought to the table and when they’re as thrilling, intriguing, and exciting as Ex Machina was, then that is a bonus. This was a mesmerising take on what is very familiar ground in the sci fi genre, artificial intelligence. The main trio of actors, Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson and Alicia Vikander were all magnificent in their roles in a beautifully directed film with a very sharp screenplay from Alex Garland which also marked his directorial debut.
Sixth time lucky in terms of landing that elusive golden statue for one Leonardo DiCaprio? He bagged the Golden Globe so here’s hoping but if he doesn’t win it for his terrific performance in this film, I don’t know what will win him the honour. His dialogue is minimal but he threw everything into this role and it was a gripping and enthralling movie from beginning to end, with another great performance from Tom Hardy who has had quite an extraordinary twelve months. The action scenes, most notably with the bear did not make comfortable viewing, but the cinematography was perfect, it was a visual masterpiece and is being bestowed with some well deserved awards and cemented Alejandro G Iñárritu’s reputation as a truly formidable director.
The anticipation for the return of Star Wars was off the charts, with real pressure on the shoulders of JJ Abrams to deliver a satisfying film after the disappointments that were the Prequels. However, Abrams pulled through and ensured this franchise returned to form. Like with Creed, it did borrow a lot from previous films, but with seven films now in the franchise, there is kind of an established formula to follow that all six films previously tried to follow, with some being more successful than others. However, the story was thrilling with exciting new characters like Rey, Finn, Poe and Kylo Ren, as well as the old cast all returning. It got the new trilogy off to a perfect start, and is still raking in the dough.
The animation juggernaut that is Pixar has produced some of the most beloved animation films of all time. The likes of Finding Nemo, Toy Story and The Incredibles all jump to mind. And after some sequels, they reverted back to the original ideas and produced what for me, might just be their best film yet, in Inside Out. This film, exploring the inner workings of a girl ‘s mind and her emotions after she moves home, was simply put, genius. As human beings we all experience different emotions at significant moments in our lives, and to see this portrayed on screen was just a joy (see what I did there?) to witness. These animations do work on two levels that give lots for kids and adults to enjoy, but this film definitely panders more towards the adults with its story that will resonate with all who see it. Gorgeously animated with a mixture of great humour and some very emotional moments that will bring you to tears, and a tremendous cast of voice actors including Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Phyllis Smith, Lewis Black and Mindy Kaling. Inside Out is certainly one of the best animated films so far this decade, and my favourite film of 2015!
So there you have it, my best films of 2015. What were your picks? Comment below and tell me what were your favourite movies of 2015, or feel free to tweet me at @TTSilverScreen, and be sure to like me over on Facebook!
Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad, Tony Bellew
Director: Ryan Coogler
Synopsis: Adonis Creed is the son of the legendary boxer Apollo Creed, and when he realises he wants to emulate his father and become a professional boxer, he seeks out his father’s old rival, the one and only Rocky Balboa, to train him.
Review: You would think that when a film series gets to its seventh instalment, it’s possibly running out of ideas and that it may be time to put the series to bed. Yet certain franchises keep roaring on, with some making over a billion dollars at the worldwide box office. While not quite making those mega bucks the likes of Star Wars and Fast and Furious have been making, the Rocky franchise has come out fighting with a remarkable revival and has reinvigorated it when many thought it was on the ropes and down for the count for good.
The main focus of this new chapter is on that of Adonis “Donnie” Creed, played by Michael B Jordan. Despite being in a decent well paid job, he strives for something different, namely to become a legendary fighter and to emulate the great achievements of his father. With six chapters coming before it, the production team behind the film had a choice: do you go with the established formula that the previous films set out, or try to reinvent the wheel and start fresh? Thankfully, the decision was evidently made to go with the former and tread familiar ground by using most of the notes from mainly the very first film in the franchise, and it does this in glorious fashion, providing a brand new Rocky for a brand new generation.
With the abysmal critical and commercial failure that is Fant4stic unfortunately attached to his CV, Michael B Jordan really shows us what he’s all about as the titular character. He’s driven and determined, but at the same time, feels weighed down and somewhat insecure by the name that he possess and also the legacy of his father. His breakthrough role came with 2012’s Fruitvale Station (which Coogler also directed), and with this, he truly cements himself as one of the finest young actors working today. It is his movie, and he owns it, and was mighty unlucky not to land himself an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.
Stallone as Balboa, in arguably the role that also made his name in Hollywood, is equally tremendous and gives quite possibly the finest performance ever in his long and illustrious career. The sheer enthusiasm of the young Creed gives him a new breath of life after watching all those he loved slowly fritter away, and when Creed is offered a massive opportunity, it spurs Rocky on even more to see the young fighter succeed. Stallone has been getting nominations and awards aplenty, and a well-deserved Oscar nomination.
Coogler’s passion for the franchise is very apparent, and through his expert direction and the striking cinematography, the fight scenes are tremendously well handled. They’re extremely gripping to watch as you will Donny to succeed in his fight against some extremely obnoxious opponents. As the audience, you want him to succeed in his quest to become as good as his father was. A perfect example of the underdog story, using the benchmark that was laid down by the first movie, and done right, is just about every way possible. This re-imagining of the 1976 classic ensures that the franchise is once again pulling punches aplenty, and will probably have a lot more fights in it in the years to come.
Uplifting, powerful and gripping, producing arguably career-best performances from both Jordan and Stallone, Coogler has maybe given the franchise its best movie yet.
Through the Silver Screen 