December Roundup

Right, 2009 is at a finish, so here is my roundup of December's releases:

Glorious 39: I LOVE this film. Let's get that out of the way. This thoroughly entertaining piece of classic cinema grabbed my attention from the off, and is kept by the mesmerizing turn from Romola Garai, fast becoming my new favourite actress. The Hitchcokian feel to the story of an aspiring actress who finds out her family are about to help play a part in the beginning of World War Two is always there, and the wonderful direction from Stephen Poliakoff is just another favourable aspect for the film. If I were to criticise any point, it would be some overly kooky deaths, and too many nudges to lead character Anne that loses momentum after a while. But apart from those slight criticisms, I really love the film, and definitekly reccomend you see it.
OVERALL SCORE: 8/10

Me and Orson Welles: I never expected to like this theatre production drama so much, but the brilliant lead performances from Zac Efron as Richard Samuels, a young man who blags his way into Orson Welles' adaptation of Julius Ceaser as Lucius, Claire Danes as Welles' agent, and both his and Richard's love interest Christian McKay as Welles himself, played with ferocity and ego. The slick, slender direction from Richard Linklater and the great set pieces papers over some fluff, but this is an excellent adapation on the book.
OVERALL SCORE: 8/10

Where the Wild Things Are: Oh, how I love this film. Spike Jonze's third masterpiece oozes with charm and assurance, and really understands the meaning of childhood. Max Records is perfect as Max, the lonely 9 year sent to bed with no supper who dreams up a world where the Wild Things live, and he is their king. Beautifully told and visually creative, this 9 line story transists to a 108 minute movie with near perfection (the odd scene near the end drags for one minute too long but these are very tiny flaws).
OVERALL GRADE: 8.5/10

Avatar: I've seen it, I've experienced it...in 2D? Yes, I'm still old fashioned with my hate for the third dimesion, but Avatar works perfectly well as an action thriller, with a slightly enhanced brain and awesome direction from the king of the world himself, James Cameron. The digital effects are stunning, and the performances are good, particularly from Zoe Saldana as Neytiri, the princess of the Na'Vi, the species on the planet Pandora that the humans want rid of so they can get the rich rock that lays in the surface for themselves. The script is as crap as expected, and there are numerous dragging scenes in this 3 hour long haul (hell, 2012 felt a lot quicker than this.) What makes Avatar so special is the beating heart that surrounds this project; sure it's flawed, but its been nurched by Cameron and brought to the screen spectacularly, making this a major achievement.
OVERALL GRADE: 8/10

St Trinians 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold: The reboot of the franchise in 2007 was light, frothy and a lot of fun, but this latest installment in the girl power serious isn't so enjoyable. Falling back on cliches galore, the tale of the St Trinians girls trying to stop a man hating aristocrat from taking over Britain is expectadly nonsenical, and the girl squeals only add to the familararity of the storyline. There are occasional laughs, and this certainly isn't dull, but it lacks any drive or real enthusiasm from its cast, with the exception of Rupert Everett, who once again steals the show as headmistress, Camilla Fritton.

Sherlock Holmes: As I posted in my review, this is loud, explosive but so much fun. Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law excell in their roles as Holmes and Watson, with the film detaling their last case together, as they try to solve the mystery surrounding the reserrected Lord Blackwood, played with menace by Mark Strong. This is quick witted and clever, and always appealing, if slightly saggy near the end. A great treat nevertheless.
OVERALL TOTAL: 8.5/10

Nowhere Boy: Again, look at my review for a full detailed analysis. This biopic of John Lennon's rise to fame is incredibly telling and enthralling, if not revolutionary. Sam Taylor Wood excells behind the camera, while Aaron Johnson, Anne Marie Duff and Kristin Scott Thomas all shine in their roles as Lennon, his estranged mother and uptight aunt. This is hardly groundbreaking stuff, and pretty ordinary biopic fare, but the performances, direction and excellent script rise this above average.
OVERALL TOTAL: 7/10

Next month, I plan to see Nine, It's Complicated, The Road, Daybreakers, The Book of Eli, Up in the Air, Sex, Drugs, Rock and Roll, Tulpan, Armored, All About Steve, Extraordinary Measures, Edge of Sarkness, The Lovely Bones and Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire.

Sherlock Holmes and Nowhere Boy Reviews

Boxing Day had two little gems waiting to be unwrapped at the local cinema, as both Sherlock Holmes and Nowhere Boy were treats to delect upon. Visually stunning and well acted, both have credibility in spades, and have allowed what has been a year dominated by smaller films to really pack a punch with some more mainstream fare at the final hurdle.

Sherlock Holmes is the origin story of the great detective; the difference being, Holmes (a super Robert Downey Jr.) and his partnr Watson (Jude Law, proving he CAN act) have been at this crime solving job for years- this is the origin of the end of their partnership together. Their last case revolves around the mysterious Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong), a black magic extraordinare who manages to rise from the grave after his execution to take over the world (ah, the joy of a proper megalomanic psycho villain), unless Holmes and Watson can stop him. However, are hero must also fend off the femme fatale, Irene Adler (the oh so lovely Rachel McAdams), despite their previous history together...

This Guy Richie (keep reading) directed action flick bounds with energy, mainly thanks to its game cast. Downey Jr. once again delivers an excellent performance, to cap off a good year of performances from him, including a criminally underrated turn in The Soloist. Jude Law may finally be able to put The Holiday behind him, and become the great actor he once promised he could be. Rachel McAdams has had a superb year thanks to the fantastic State of Play, and the OK but well acted The Time Traveler's Wife. Here, she isn't much more than a romantic lead for Holmes, but her effortless wit and sarcasm makes for a riveting performance. And needless to say, Mark Strong is as effective and creepy as the bad guy as usual. The storyline is wonderfully executed, and plays out like a grown up, but still fun episode of Scooby Doo. The fun is always fun too, which is an important element of Sherlock Holmes. The laughs actually make you laugh, and don't seem out of place with the situations going on. There is a horrendous dog farting 'gag', but the film manages to steer clear of stepping into any more shit. The final act feels slightly rushed, but on reflection everything fits in to place. To say I enjoyed Sherlock Holmes is an understatement; I loved it. Well paced, funny and quite brilliant, this is one franchise I do want to see.

I'm not the biggest John Lennon or Beatles fan, but I was very excited for Nowhere Boy, as the trailer seemed funny, dramatic and very engaging. This is the biopic of an adolescent Lennon's life, spent living with his Aunt Mimi (Kristin Scott Thomas, the most underrated actress possibly ever) after being deserted by his mother, Julia (an always excellent Anne Marie Duff.) John is a clever, but big headed young lad who wants to start a rock n roll band having finally met his long missing mother, who encourages him to follow his dream. But family revelations tear this family apart, and dire consequences occur for all involved.

The big draw for Nowhere Boy is the sophisticated and assured direction from artist Sam Taylor Wood. Her first feature film as director is beautifully vintage and very 50s. The wide angle shots add dramatic depth, whilst the little but telling nods to future events in the Beatles' history will appeal to the fans. Aaron Johnson (soon to be world famous thanks to Kick Ass) does a solid job as Lennon. Although very unlikeable in places, Johnson has charisma (something that was lacking from many debuting actors this year) allowing him to fully show his range, and how Lennon must have felt. Scott Thomas and Marie Duff are just as brilliant; the film really centres on their fragile relationship, where these two sisters have messed each other around for too long. It's a shame that next year's Oscars will not feature either star for an award, althougb possibly a BAFTA? The performances, pacing, writing and directing are very good, but the real problem is the fact that we never actually learn a lot about Lennon's upbringing, and maybe some more explanation into Mimi and Julia's back story would be helpful, but those are slight nit picks. This is thoroughly enjoyable stuff, that deserves a big audience.

So, 2009 looks to have ended on a high note. Thank God I didn't see Alvin and the Chipmunks 2 then.

Oscar Predictions

Best Picture

Up
Up in the Air
Invictus
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Avatar
Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire
An Education
A Serious Man
A Single Man

Best Lead Actor

Morgan Freeman- Invictus
Jeremy Renner- The Hurt Locker
George Clooney- Up in the Air
Colin Firth- A Single Man
Jeff Bridges- Crazy Heart

Best Lead Actress

Gabourey Sidibe- Precious
Carey Mulligan- An Education
Saoirse Ronan- The Lovely Bones
Meryl Streep- Julie and Julia
Sandra Bullock- The Blind Side

Best Supporting Actor

Christopher Plummer- The Last Station
Matt Damon- Invictus
Christoph Waltz- Inglorious Basterds
Alfred Molina- An Education
Woody Harrelson- The Messenger

Best Supporting Actress

Marion Cotillard- Nine
Julianne Moore- A Single Man
Vera Farmiga- Up in the Air
No'Nique- Precious
Anna Kendrick- Up in the Air

Best Adapted Screenplay

District 9
The Blind Side
Up in the Air
Precious
An Education

Best Original Screenplay

The Hurt Locker
Up
A Serious Man
Inglorious Basterds
(500) Days of Summer

Best Animation

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
The Princess and The Frog
Fantastic Mr Fox
Coraline
Up

Best Score

Where the Wild Things Are
A Single Man
The Informant!
Avatar
Nine

Best Visuals

Avatar
Star Trek
District 9
2012
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

2009:winners and losers

As a brief sum-up, here are my best and worst categoric films of the year.

BEST FILM
* Star Trek
(Runner up: Terminator Salvation)

BEST ACTION FILM
* Push
(Runner up: Star Trek)

BEST COMEDY
* The Hangover
(Runner Up: Rachel Getting Married)

BEST VISUALS
* Avatar
(Runner Up: Star Trek)

BEST SCRIPT
* Star Trek
(Runner Up: Slumdog Millionaire)

BEST KIDS FILM
* Where the Wild Things Are
(Runner Uo: Up)

BEST ACTOR:
*Sam Rockwell: Moon
(Runner Up: Zachary Quinto: Star Trek)

BEST ACTRESS
* Meryl Streep: Julie and Julia
(Runner Up: Romola Garai: Glorious 39)

I'll have my complete list of best and worst films of the year on New Year's Day!

What will be the biggest December hit?

So, November was a busy month, with Twilight: New Moon and The Blind Side impressing in America, whilst 2012 stunned worldwide. My predictions were way off for The Blind Side and Planet 51 in particular, but the rest were pretty solid. Here are my predictions for December's movies.

BROTHERS: U.S. GROSS: $35M WORLDWIDE: $60M
ARMORED: U.S. GROSS: $20M WORLDWIDE: $50M
EVERYBODY'S FINE: U.S. GROSS: $11M WORLDWIDE: $30M
THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG: U.S. GROSS: $100M WORLDWIDE: $250M
INVICTUS: U.S. GROSS: $65M WORLDWIDE: $100M
AVATAR: U.S. GROSS: $330M WORLDWIDE: $900M
DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE MORGANS? U.S. GROSS: $70M WORLWDIDE: $150M
NINE: U.S. GROSS: $70M WORLDWIDE: $150M
SHERLOCK HOLMES: U.S. GROSS: $85M WORLDWIDE: $200M
UP IN THE AIR: U.S. GROSS: $50M WORLDWIDE $90M
IT'S COMPLICATED: U.S. GROSS: $120M WORLDWIDE: $200M
ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS 2: U.S. GROSS: $230M WORLDWIDE: $400M

What will be the biggest November hit?

November is a packed month. Here are my expectations for the month;

A Christmas Carol: U.S. GROSS: $135M: WORLDWIDE GROSS: $220M
The Men who stare at Goats: U.S GROSS: $35M: WORLDWIDE GROSS: $65M
The Fourth Kind: U.S. GROSS: $30M: WORLDWIDE GROSS: $50M
The Box: U.S GROSS: $18M: WORLDWIDE GROSS: $35M
Precious: U.S. GROSS: $50M: WORLDWIDE GROSS: $90M
2012: U.S. GROSS: $165M: WORLDWIDE GROSS: $520M
Pirate Radio: U.S GROSS: $7M: WORLDWIDE GROSS: $40M
Fantastic Mr Fox: U.S. GROSS: $35M: WORLDWIDE GROSS: $65M
The Twilight Saga: New Moon: U.S. GROSS: $315M: WORLDWIDE GROSS: $610M
The Blind Side: U.S. GROSS: $55M: WORLDWIDE GROSS: $80M
Planet 51: U.S. GROSS: $60M: WORLDWIDE GROSS: $110M
The Road: U.S GROSS: $40M: WORLDWIDE GROSS: $82M
Old Dogs: U.S. GROSS: $130M: WORLDWIDE GROSS: $195M
Ninja Assasin: U.S. GROSS: $35M: WORLDWIDE GROSS: $100M

November Slate

Here's a quick sum up of the films I've seen in November:

9: Although the story is creative and the visuals stunning, there's no denying this film is as flawed as they come. The gaping plot holes which encave this film into one massive crater are so clear to see, but that doesn't stop the film from being fantastically entertaning and beautifully crafted by the obviously talented director, Shane Acker. But be warned; this is violent, and not for younger children.
OVERALL TOTAL: 7.5/10

Michael Jackson's This is It: I am a massive fan of Michael Jackson, and there is no denying that he was still talented, as this film displays. Sadly, I found this a horrible cash in on his death, which director Kenny Ortega should not have done so soon after Jackson's death. Regardless of how much he professes that this was to allow the fans to enjoy his last moments, it's nothing more than a quick money spinner for him. The music and set designs are great, but it's very unsettling watching Jackson dance; not because he's now dead, but because it's rather awful watching a 50 year old dad dancing with an 18 year old babe. Ugh. It sounds horrible, and I was intrigued by the film, but I can't help but feel Jackson was so pressured into doing this tour, and it's so very clear to see no matter how hard he worked, he was exhausted, and that makes This is It an uneasy experience.
OVERALL TOTAL: 4/10

Katalin Varga: An interesting Hungarian film from British director Peter Strickland, this is an intriguing, harrowing rape revenge thriller that posts some excellent performances from its cast of unknows. The use of animal imagery sounds ridiculous but works excellently, and the final result pays off well. It's a shame during the opening act that the film is so stoic, and Katalin Varga needs more showing that the constant telling. This is still an exciting watch though.
OVERALL TOTAL: 6/10

The Men who Stare at Goats: This looked hilarious from the trailers, with a fine cast. Sadly, this fails to charm throughout, despite many laugh out loud moments. Ewan McGregor, Kevin Spacey and Jeff Bridges are on top form, whilst George Clooney seems slightly uncomfortable at times. The lack of plot hampers the film in a similar way to 9, and the lack of development in the supporting characters is annoying. Plenty of laughs keep this ship afloat.
OVERALL TOTAL: 6/10

Bright Star: Jane Campion is a legend thanks to The Piano, and this is in fact, much better in my opinion. The plot never really drags, although this may be thanks to the wonderful performances from Abbie Cornish and Ben Wishaw in the leading roles in this biopic of the last two years of the poet John Keats' life. The cinematogarphy is breathtaking, and Campion proves what a superb director she is. This film is far too long winded as it nears its climax, but pulls it back with emotional heft right at the end.
OVERALL TOTAL: 6/10

A Christmas Carol: Jim Carrey is one of my favourite actors (alongside Will Smith and Robert De Niro), and he gives a great performance (s) as basically every character in this latest attempt from Robert Zemeckis to make the public fall in love with this motion capture technology. And although this animation has come on leaps and bounds in the last few years, it is still creepy and dead eyed that spoils the emotional impact of this classic story. Also, the film relies on noise to make you jump with the 3D and 'scares' which is just silly, and makes for a draining experience. The film does get a lot better in the last 45 minutes, and is very enjoyable, but not nearly as good as it should have been.
OVERALL TOTAL: 6/10

The Fourth Kind: I am no horror fan, but I am always interested in psychological thrillers, and The Fourth Kind, although not original, sparked some interest from me. I was hooked on the storyline from start to finish, and was never bored. Although this may not be real, it sparks off an intriguing debate as to whether aliens exsist or not, and I love when films make you think. It is true that the supposedly massive hyped up finale doesn't pay off, but the rest of the film is interesting. I actually enjoyed Milla Jovovich performance, as it's creepy. The film is NOT scary at all though; the only thing that is weird is the real Dr Abigail Tyler's horrificly long face. Ah!
OVERALL GRADE: 6.5/10

2012: This in all is a hideous film. Terrible script, way over the top performances and a weirdly sadistic feel. You'll also have a headache for the entire three hour duration of this film. This is a very long haul, but the payoff is well worth it, as this turns out to be an intense, not too dumb movie with some stunning special effects and a good story that is executed well enough to allow the film to be classed as entertainment in a good way. Chiewtel Ejiofor gives a dedicated performance, whilst Roland Emmerich has an assured direction. Despite all the flaws, this is a great disaster movie, and thought- provoking, whilst not too oversentimental, with some knowing nudges to the audience.
OVERALL GRADE: 8/10

Taking Woostock: Ang Lee is a fantastic director, but damn is he a depressive! Lust Caution, Brokeback Mountain, it's all tears and death and ahh! Taking Woodstock should have been a relief to the viewer, but it turns out to be a nightmare. The music and a solid performance from Imelda Staunten save this from complete disaster, and the storyline is semi- interesting, but it is so rose tinted and too hippy to connect with anyone who doesn't moan that the 60s were the best days of your life, and now everything is just too modern. This means the film just won't connect with anyone under the age of about 45, so being 15, I wasn't keen on the film. Most of it seems to be some made up crap, which doesn't help the already snail like pace. A bit of a disaster, but undemanding.
OVERALL GRADE: 4/10

Rachel Getting Married: I missed a load of the Oscar pictures from earlier this year, so I'm catching up a little. This has to be one of my favourite Oscar pictures, mainly for the brilliant performance from Anne Hathaway, who should've won Best Actress for this great portrayal of Kim, the drug addled sister of bride to be Rachel, played with gusto by Rosemarie DeWitt. Jonathon Demme directs with flare, and this is very funny, and dramatic in equal measure. Had I just been accounting for the first hour of the film, this would be in my top five of the year, but it all comes crashing down mid way, as the film's pace goes rapidly off course with too much melodrama. It's pulled back with ferocity at the end though, making for an enjoyably uplifting, career defining piece for the entire cast and crew.
OVERALL GRADE: 8/10

Movie Review- Surrogates

Graphic Novels make for very hit and miss film adaptations. Sometimes, you get films like Iron Man and The Dark Knight that blow your mind, and then there's the pile of duds that includes The Spirit and Punisher: War Zone. Surrogates falls somewhere in the middle; although the action is spectacular to watch, and the hyper stylised action is super, but the dialouge and acting is as plastic as these robotic surrogates are.

The basic plotline follows Agent Tom Greer (Bruce Willis), an FBI Agent living in a world where virtually everyone in the world uses robotic versions of themselves to live their lives to the full. You can be who you want, whenever you want. You feel no pain, and you can do everything humanly possible. Greer is uncomfortable with this new world, as he continues to feel attached from his surrogate loving wife, Maggie (Rosamund Pike.) In an unusual event in this crime free world, a homicide occurs where the controller of a surrogate is killed alongside his robotic form. This make Greer and his partner, Agent Peters (Radha Mitchell) must discover who's killing off the surrogates, and why.

Although a lot of fun to watch, with many superb action sequences and some beautiful cinematography, Surrogates regularly fails to engage the audience for lengthy periods of time, despite only being 88 minutes long. The scenes involving heavy dialouge may believe themselves to be smart and sophisticated, and sometimes they can be, but for the majority of the time, the lines are cheesy and so predictable, making for uncomfortable viewing at times.
The performances are horrendeous from some of the supporting cast, too. Bruce Willis is enjoyable enough, and Rosamund Pike can act (you wouldn't know it from this performance) but the rest aren't really worth noting. Radha Mitchell does throw herself into those action sequences though.

Some of the CGI used is ropey, and a bit GI Joe esque, although the budget ($80M) is much lower than Joe's $175M. Still this is very enjoyable as a dumb action movie, and better than Transformers 2 in this genre. For that reason, I give it 3 out of 5 for substance, and 4 out of 5 for action.

*Thanks to VUE Cinemas for their continued support with my reviews*

Movie Review- Moon

Duncan Jones (Son of David Bowie) has finally stepped out of his father's shadow to direct what is one of the most fascinating character studies in recent memory. Moon may be a sci-fi thriller, but you're unlikely to find a film with a more detailed backstory and superb performances all year.

Sam Rockwell plays Sam Bell, an employee of Lunar Industries, a company who send men to the moon to mine Helium 3 from the Moon's surface, to gain power to supply for Earth, who's resources are running out fast. Sam is about to end a three year contract with the company, and return home to his wife and daughter who left behind. To keep his mind occupied, Sam's only companion is the base's resident super robot, GERTY (voiced by Kevin Spacey.) On what should have been a normal collection of Helium 3, Sam sees a young girl watching him, and crashes his rover as he is distracted.

Waking up a few hours later, Sam has sustained some injuries, and is told to rest. Feelign queasy, he rushes to bed, but soon discovers that he is not the only human on the ship.

From here on in, Moon becomes a deeply unsettling, emotionally raw film that pushes the boundaries of the science fiction genre. Sam Rockwell turns in a spellbinding turn as Sam who's world crumbles around him, as discovers the horrific secrets of his employers. Jones has cleverly constructed everything around the central character. The cast and crew were kept to the minimum, and set designs were basically bargain basement, so costs were kept to a low $5M total, which is extraordinary considering how immaculate everything looks. The set design aboard the base is beautiful, and so vivid despite the pale colours. You wish the cameras would slow down as you see something strange at the bottom of the screen, or some mysterious pictures on the TV screens. The music is wonderfully tense, and only adds to the mystery and intrigue of Moon.

The plot is very hard to follow at times, particularly when the revelations are revealed. The film delves into Sam's mind a lot, so some parts do drag, but the spectacular ending brings everything back to life.

Overall, Moon is incredibly affecting, and one film you won't forget about in a hurry. I give Moon 4 out of five.

*Special thanks to Picturehouse Cinemas for their continuing support for my reviews.*

Movie Review- Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs has been hyped to the hills. 'Imaginative and witty' many clamied. 'Hysterical', other stated. I was expecting alot after such glowing reviews, so I have to say that I was sorely disappointed by Meatballs. It's not a bad film, but it's certainly not up there with your Pixar and Dreamworks animated films.

Sony Pictures Animation have been desperately trying to break the CGI business, and crack the top five in the animation world, but have so far disappointed. Open Season, Monster House and Surf's Up all did moderately at the Box Office, but were nothing compared to Finding Nemo, Shrek or the The Lion King; and deservedly so. Sony lacks the human touch that Pixar brings to all of its film, relying on cheap gags and a relatively well known cast. Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs is the best Sony Animation film so far; but for all its awareness of today's big issues, it lacks a certain sparkle to propel it that hall of animation fame.

Bill Hader voices Flint Lockwood, a small time inventor, who just can't perfect his creations. These include ratbirds that have spread across the world, and walking televisions, that burst into flames, and terrorise the neighbours. Flint is despised by everybody, and is a disappointment to his father, Tim Lockwood (James Caan), who owns a local sardine store. Flint finally manages to make one of his inventions work though, when he learns how to convert water into food.

Now this is where the film gets a little sloppy. This whole description of how Flint is a failure, and how he stumbles across something brilliant is all played out in ten minutes, which doesn't allow the viewer to fully connect with the characters straight away. As the film progresses, we learn to cheer the heroes, and boo the bad guys, but the film never fully recovers from the opening segment.

When the townsfolk hear about Flint's invention, they all believe it will cause yet another disaster for their home town, Swallow Falls. Luckily, it turns out that Flint's converter machine works like a charm, and allows everyone not to have to eat disgusting sardines all day due to some stupidly unexplained reason the writers briefly mention. This makes Flint a hero, but fame comes at a price, and like every Utopia before it, something awful is sure to happen.

The film is definitely fun, but not funny. Everything goes along at a zippy pace, but never pulls any punches when it comes to the majority of the jokes. The voice cast try to add some zing to the proceedings, especially Bill Hader as Flint, cementing his status as comedy gold, even with just his voice, and also Anna Faris, as the cute but brainy weathergirl reporting on this major food fall. The recurring joke about her being 'dumb' is again overused, but a nice twist to this story is well executed in one of the film's funniest scene; the house made of jell-o scene.

I'm surprised so many adults really like this film, as it is incredibly childish. Maybe that's the appeal of this; pure escapism. I and my friend both found the film unsatisfying in comparison to other animation films of recent times. I would say that the film completely lacks empathy with the audience. Although it's a brave statement for a film to be saying obesity is wrong for a junk food devouring audience, you can't help feeling this is a patronising topic. Many people have said that this will make some audience members uncomfortable, and those with self esteem issues feel even worse about themselves. I do think people have taken this issue way too seriously, but it is true that the film doesn't realise when to stop.

The animation is mediocre for such a big budget film ($100M) but the attention to detail is superb. In Imax 3D, you wish the film would just pause of a second so you can dissect everything on the screen in front of you. The 3D is used in small amounts, and isn't really worth seeing, as the 2D version is just as satisfying.

Overall, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is good entertainment, and is the only family choice around for the next three weeks, so expect good holds on the Box office chart for the coming weeks. Hopefully, Where the Wild Things are will be more intricate and groundbreaking for this genre. I give Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 3 out of 5

*Special thanks to VUE Cinemas for their continuing support with my reviews.*

Movie Review- Adventurland

For the very few of you who may have seen some of my previous reviews, you may know that I really hate most raunchy, R-rated comedies. I did really love The Hangover from earlier this year, and The 40 year old Virgin, Wedding Crashers, The Ugly Truth and Forgetting Sarah Marshall were also pretty funny. However, films like American Pie, Year One, I Love you, Man, Knocked Up and particularly Superbad leave me cold. Critics say they're hilarious and have such an underlying affection between the characters, but I can never see past the dick jokes and just pure slutiness of these pieces of sheer awfulness (?) Adventureland is the latest film (to jump on this comedy bandwagon) from director Greg Mottala, who also directed Superbad. Uh oh.

Thankfully, my fears proved unfounded, as this is a very charming little movie with excellent performances that actually deserve their hype. The main reason I belive that the audience (who really loved this film) connected with it is how it's plainly obvious how emotionally attached Mottala was to this project. He states that this is semi-autobiographical, and you feel his love for what is basically the circle of life and love.

Jesse Einsberg, a far more endearing version of Michael Cera, stars as James Brennen, who is forced to get a job at Adventureland, a degrading theme park that cons the little kids out of their pocket money, and uses past their-sell-by-date-food to attract punters. Struggling to fit in, James turns to the alluring Em (a surprisingly brilliant Kristen Stewart), who shows him how life isn't just about going to college and having money, but learning where your place is in the world. She is a bit of a hypocrite though, as she finds that an idenity had evaded her, too, and must also find where she belongs. Sadly, she belives its in the arms of married man, and co-worker Mike Connell (Ryan Renyolds), who can only be described as a plonker. As the film progresses, James finally discovers the values of life and love, and makes it his goal to prove his undying love to Em.

The endearing characters make Adventureland a must see. Einsberg and Stewart make for a believable pair, and it's nice to see Stewart step out of the Twilight fame, and show she actually has talent. Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig give great performances as the eccentric owners of Adventureland, and Ryan Renyolds continues his solid streak of performances, after X Men Origins: Wolverine and The Proposal.

Mottala also makes a realistic film, whilst adding lots of little touches to give his directional skills a boost. Little camera flares and close ups slide perfectly together, and he certainly commands presence with the camera. The storyline depecites this 1987 set film beautifully, capturing the esscence of a turnaround in society. Mottala also wrote the script, which is fully of cutting jokes and occasionally sleazy dialouge.

Adventureland isn't very funny in places, but always brings a smile to your face, as it is a very joyous watch. It's nice to see something where things don't always turn pear shaped at the end. Like Away we Go, it's nice to see a perfectly tender film.

All in all, I definitely reccomend you rent this (or see it in theatres in the UK) as it is funny, refreshing and doesn't rely completely on swearing. Nice.

I give Adventureland 3 and a half out of 5.

* Special thanks to ODEON Cinemas for their continuing support with my reviews*

Movie Review- The Hurt Locker

If there's one film you must see this year, it has to be the much anticpated The Hurt Locker. I'm not saying this is the best film of the year, but it is definitely the most inspirational. The beautiful cinematography, wonderful performances and spectacular direction rise the material above the average Iraq war fare, and makes this one resounding success.

Starring relative unknowns, and directed by supposed 'has-been', Katheryn Bigelow (Point Break), The Hurt Locker relies more on nerve wracking suspense than structure. There isn't a major plot line to follow and the twists and turns of this bomb disposal unit is hard to follow at times.

The only narrative line to sink your teeth into is that of the relationship between the three bomb squad team members.Newly appointed leader, Will James (Jeremy Renner) is cocky and reckless in the face of danger, which infuriates his by the books comrades, J.T. Sanbourne (Anthony Mackie) and Owen Eldrige (Brian Gerghty.)

The heated debates and powerful punch ups are heightened by our emotional connection to the three leads. All three are equally impressive, especially Renner (looking like a cross between Tobey Maguire and Eminem), who's scorching performance is always exciting to watch. It would be a particular shame if Katheryn Bigelow didn't recieve at least an Oscar nomination, as she once again proves what a verstaile (and underrated) director she is. The haunting slow-mo scenes and shaky cam feel really make you feel immersed in this world. Beat that, Zack Synder!

It is so clear to see how much effort was put into everything in the film. A particular piece is the wonderfully realistic script. Instead of throwing lots of confusing dialouge at us, script writer Mark Boal (who's memoirs are the basis of the film) focuses more on the characters inner feelings, using facial expressions more than words, which has such a great visual effect. It's a tiny detail, but it's certainly one worth noting.
The music is also equsite, and used only in small spades, but when it is used, it really mounts up the tension.

The film makes the mistake of being too repetitive, however. It's always fascinating to see into the lives of those who take on one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. It just seems that nothing is ever truly resolved, which may be the point to the film, but you wish that at least one thread could be tied up and be finished. The last 20 minutes also bring the film down due to the dragging effect and confusing structure of those scenes.

Still, this is definitely one of the best war movies ever, easily beating duds such as Valkyrie and Jarhead. It's just a shame the film's June release in America will most likely mean that The Hurt Locker will miss out on when Oscar Season rolls along. I give the film 4 out of 5.

*Special thanks to ODEON cinemas for their continuing support for my reviews*

Big films of the month- September/October 2009

September and October are notroiously slow months in the world of cinema, but some big new releases could see a big up on last year, when Eagle Eye was the dominant force over this two month period.

The film most likely to achieve the biggest success will be Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. Having already opened to $30.3M on September 18th-20th, this latest kids animation film from Sony Pictures has an almost entirely open playing field for the next month and a half when considering the releases of new animated pictures. The next purely animation films will be The Fantastic Mr. Fox and a Christmas Carol in mid November, whilst Toy Story 1 and 2 are reissued on October 2nd. The only film that really poses any threat to Cloudy in the upcoming weeks is Where the Wild Things are, but that is released on October 16th, so Cloudy has almost two months of IMAX 3D and 3D play to itself. Expect an end total in the range of Bolt ($114M) and G-Force ($118M.) A worldwide tally of $250M could also occur, if this week's impressive international total is anything to go by.

Another film that will do most of its business in November, but is released on the 28th October is the tour movie, Michael Jackson's This is It. Fan demand should be massive in the first five days for the late singer's concert tour film, but it only has two weeks of play, which may or may not casue a problem for the overall tally. Public attention has been rife ever since Jackson's death three months ago, so a rushed release of this film was to be expected. Expect a major turnout in those opening days, whilst a specific figure is harder to estimated. It could be anything from about $50M- $175M in the US, whilst a $325M total seems like a likely estimate.

Other films including Where the Wild Things are, Fame, Surrogates and Couples Retreat should be solid hits, but all could escalate into something bigger. One film that is guaranteed a solid opening number is Halloween picture, Saw VI. These kind of horror movie regularly do the business, and Saw VI could even rise above the recent Final Destination to become the top grossing horror movie of the year.

Smaller hits will probably include The Invention of Lying, Whip It!, Zombieland, AstroBoy and Law Abiding Citizen, which should be profitable by a wide margin when they are released on DVD.

The film that I expect to be the biggest wide flop of this period is Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant. Although it may make back its $80M budget when foreign totals are accounted for (the book series the film is based on is a big success in the UK) and when DVD sales arrive, the film is unlikely to make big bucks in the US, thanks to a very generic marketing campaign, and lack of awareness over the books.

Movie Review- Away we Go

I saw Away We Go, which has just been released over here in the UK. I like Sam Mendes' work, but he is a rather depressing film maker. He even killed his own wife in Revolutionary Road, for God's sake! So, I was pleasently surprised when the trailer for Away we Go was released, many months ago. For once, it looked like Mr. Kate Winslet had turned soft. Here, it seems he has, as this road trip movie is sweet and tender. Hopefully though, he will return to his grittier roots, as the main problem for Away we Go is it's not funny enough to be a comedy, and not dramatic enough to be a drama. It falls clumsily into the middle, and never truly finds a unique personality for itself. The film falls two thirtysomething misfits, Burt and Verona (John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph) as they attempt to find their place in the world, as they prepare for the arrival of their first baby. When Burt's parents leave for Belgium, the two must learn to grow up, and find somewhere to raise their child in a comfortable environment.
What is so refreshing is how down beat Away we Go is. It's nice to see a truly happy couple, neither of whom are having an affair, or is secretly a mass murdering hippy etc. I was half expecting at least one clumsy death to occur (it's Mendes' signature style!), but I was happy to see just a sweet film. The performances are excellent, particularly from the two leads. The film only really focuses on the two, so lacks scope when it comes to fleshing out the supporting characters. That's not to say that the supporting turns aren't stellar; Maggie Gyllenhaal is hilarious as the nature loving hippy mother, and Alison Jenney gives a grotesquely rich performance as a neurotic boss.
There are flaws here though. Although the film is kind and adorable, there are very few belly laughs. There are flashes of great moments concealed in a very flawed movie, but it can never escape from slight mediocrety. Also, the film's beginning feels rushed, and doesn't allow time to connect with the two leads enough to truly care what happens to them in the end. Another problem would have to be how slow the movie can be, particularly near the end of the film. Although the emotional wallop is hard hitting in places, you can't help but think 'so what?' Because of that rushed beggining, the film could never recover. For me though, the biggest problem was the film's feeling that it needed to be smutty throughout. Away we Go would have been much more enjoyable had it focused on the characters a little more than the smut. Still, I recommend it for those who want a nice, slower picture, and some of the humour does hit the mark. I give Away we Go 3 of 5.

* Special thanks to Picturehouse Cinemas for their continuing support to my reviews*