Saturday 18 January 2014

Gravity Movie Review

I saw gravity in my local cinema for Ten pounds and seventy five pence. This is the most i have ever paid for a movie ticket as i don't usually go for add ons such as an imax screen or 3D as i see so many films each month and it is quite expensive. But for what I got in gravity I think I would have paid double.

Gravity is one of those films that is both piece of art and an exciting thrill ride. Its ground breaking visual effects and a great story. its got wonderful set design costume design and cinematography, Its also got two fantastic performances and a great tight script. its about everything but also nothing at the same time. Gravity is a Modern Classic and i think will eventually become one of those films like citizen cane that people remember as a turning point in cinema.

The story is simple, Sandra Bullock is stranded in space and has to find a way back home, now this may sound like a small plot and it is. But the film manages too make it work, with both the short running time but also making the film about Sandra Bullock as a character. Its also wonderfully refreshing to see a movie with a Woman in the lead role. We see her progress from a worried first time astronaut to a fully fledged out space bad-ass, Shes great and comfortably carry the whole film across here shoulders (as if she was in zero GRAVITY). George Clooney also offers some comic relief, and though that sounds odd the film needs it all it is one of the most tense and gripping films i have ever seen.

One of the best things about gravity is the fact that its completely simple. Its short and its precise it now how much the effects have to deliver to be convincing but it also knows that the story must be character driven other wise you wouldn't be interested. And all this success comes from the director Alfonso Cuaron who to be honest has semented him self as one of the most skilled directors of all time, with the best harry potter film, Children of men and know this this cant be denied. He is a serious talent. and if he doesnt win all the awards this year there is something wrong.

There are no flaws in this film in fact if i had too pick one its that you wish the film was longer so you could continue to be part of this environment, but if it were longer it would loose part of its simplicity and Un-Pretentiousness which is what makes the film so great.


Its Perfect... Nuff Said

10/10

Wednesday 15 January 2014

Prisoners Movie Review

Prisoners was a film released last November and i have to say is the most underrated film of the year. If this isn't nominated for at least one award (i don't care which) then we live in a world were great movies are not appreciated enough.

Prisoners follows two family struggles to cope with reality when there eight year old daughters go missing on thanksgiving mostly focusing on Hugh Jackman (the farther of one of the daughters), and Jake Gyllenhaal the cop who is trying to find the two little girls.. That is all i am going to say plot wise as one of the best things about prisoners is its unpredictable thrilling, and genuinely hard to watch at times (due to the subject matter).

The film is a masterpiece of thriller film making, there are no bad scenes or moments all the cast are magnificent with Jake Gyllenhall doing more acting with his eyelids than the entire cast of all the twilight films. Hugh Jackman's performance is also hauntingly good.  the new director Denis Villeneuve does a great job with these holly wood actors and is helped by the best cinematographer in the business Roger Deakins who does an Oscar worthy job making the movie terrifying just in how the film is lit and shot.

I am not going to talk anymore about this film just that you should seek it out.

10/10

Friday 10 January 2014

Top Ten Films Of 2013

No i have to say that the films i have not seen yet are: place beyond the pines, philomena, Mud. Friutville station.

The films that haven't been released in the UK yet so cant be on the list are: 12 years a slave, Her, American Hustle and the wolf of wall street.

Now for by top ten list of films released in 2013

10.) Star Trek Into Darkness- I don't care i had a lot of fun in this film, All the cast are especially great.

9.) Elysium - a really great Old style science fiction film masterfully directed by Neil Blomkamp

8.) The Hunger Games Catching Fire - A great film with no actual problems masterfully done all round. As i  have read book reader though i just felt that i couldn't put this any high on the list.

7.) Pacific Rim- The best blockbuster of the year, it had big robots punching big monsters. What more can you ask for

6.) Captain Philips - A all round great story, captured by two great performances By tom hanks and Barkhad Adbi both deserve awards this year.

5.) The worlds End -  One of the Funniest yet strangely emotional trips to the cinema I had this year.

4.) Rush - A great humanitan story, With in an exciting (if little alien too me) seting. Danial Bruhl is Fantastic

3.) Saving Mr Banks -  Everyones amazing, I cried... A few times.

2.) Prisoners - the most intriguing, disturbing ang though provocing movies of all year. I wnt in nowing nothing and came out with a new film classic. Jake Gyllenhall and Hugh Jackman are great.

1.) Gravity -  The reason cinema exists and has done for so long. Gravity took you to space for half an hour. I was scared amazed and even inspired by this Masterpiece of a film. A True masterpiece of film Making and will be remembers for the years to come.

Tuesday 7 January 2014

Rush Movie Review

Rush was a Film by Ron Howard earlier in the year and stars Chris Hemsworth and Danial Bruhl ( i don't know how to do the Dots Above the U But hey it could be worse). And the film follows the story of a couple (James Hunt and Nikki Lauder) of Formula One drivers and there legendary rivalry between the late sixty's and the 1972 Grand Prix.

Now i am not a formula one fan (in fact i have never even watched a whole minute of it on the TV) but i have to say i was completely taken aback by how good this film is. This film with out a doubt is on of my favorite films of the year (which i will publish by the 10th of January) despite the fact that i new nothing and am not even that interested in the films subject matter.

The films Stars Chris Hemsworth and Danial Bruhl do a fantastic job at sharing the lead role with each other in such a way that both of them get what seemed to be equal screen time. They both narrate the film and though it is odd at first as they both narrate their parts of the story. Though i love Chris Hemsworth i do have to say that the films best performance is from Danial Bruhl who does an amazing job and playing the Precise racing machine Nikki Lauda without it turning into a stereotype of any kind. He also plays it in such a way that you feel that even though he is a little cold as a character you still feel that he is a human being, it would have been easy for Bruhl to play him as an unlikable or more of a caricature but Bruhl plays it straight and you end up feeling genuinely connected too him.

Hemsworth Is really good too but i feel that with his personality he could have played this role in his sleep, but he doesn't. He also brings a Human quality too the role he even starts to build on the problems that James Hunt had in real life such as his drink problems and his many relationships with different women. Over all they manage to portray how each of the real life characters managed too make each other better racers but more importantly better people as they fought for victory.

Though it does appear that he was overshadowed by his leads Ron Howard does an excellent job at Making the movie fun and most importantly accessible, as i seemed to understand the whole film despite not ever watching a formula one Race. The story of how he managed to make this film is also really inspiring, if you don't know this film had to be independently funded and done (relatively) on the cheap for a movie by a big Hollywood director with two big stars in the lead. You should really read up on it.

Overall rush is an excellent film that was missed by most and defiantly needs to be seen when you get the chance.

Rush is a 10/10

Tuesday 24 December 2013

Saving Mr Banks Review

Now i haven't really liked director John Lee Hancocks previous works. None of them really clicked with me and though the bright side was OK it didn't deserve Oscar nominations for gods sake.

But I am only too happy to say that his new film Saving Mr Banks is fantastic and not only the best film he has ever made but is one of my favorites of the year (A list of my favorites will be out January some time). The film follows the story of how Walt Disney (played Perfectly by Tom Hanks) managed to secure the film rights to the book Marry Poppins from it author Mrs Travers (Played in an award worthy performance by the allays great Emma Thompson). On the way to giving the film rights to Disney we meet the films song writers the Sherman brothers, the films script writer Don Dagradi and Mrs Travers friendly driver (played by Paul Giamatti)

What u liked especially about this film is the performances. Every single person in this movie brings the absolute best and its hard to single out a specific person who was the best as everyone is do great. Of course Emma Thomson is great, she does a great job with what could be considered at first as a two dimensional character and makes P L Travers understandable but most importantly very entertaining. Tom hanks though he is just being Tom Hanks is great as Walt bringing a sense of realism and compassion to him. The three who play the Films song writers and script author all do a great job too. But the two actors who i feel are getting the least amount of attention from critics are Colin Farrel and Paul Giamatti. Both are fantastic providing more realistic less larger than life characters and there amazing, Especially Paul Giamatti who i would love to see get some awards buzz for his role as he is genuinely flawless as the down to earth Driver who just wants to see the good in everything.

My only criticism is if you don't like Marry Poppins (which i do) i don't think you will enjoy this movie as much as i did. Over than that i cant see anything else that i didn't at least like in this film.

Its a genuine shame that this film isn't getting any awards buzz as it totally deserves it .

Saving Mr Banks is a 10/10

Tuesday 26 March 2013

Slumdog Millionaire (Danny Boyle Week)

Slumdog Millionaire is the story about a boy from the slums in india who some how through a lang chain of events ends up winning a large amount of money on an Indian quiz show.

This movie won 8 academy awards including best picture, best director and best adapted screen play one and is one of only 7 films to win those three awards as the Oscars Bafta's, directors guild awards and the golden globes.

This film is the best "best picture" winner we have had for years and years it is a story about almost everything movies should be about its about love its about growing up, coming of age, violence, struggle and most importantly its about humanity.

Even the child actors are great this film this film is as close to perfect as a film like this can be it shows the poverty of the slums and the power of the rich in an non-biased way. i love this film its got everything going for it the only problem is if you don't like subtitles your going to have a bad time as about 2/3 of the film are in Hindi NOT English. But i don't mind that i think its fantastic

This film is the definition of a 10/10

Sunday 24 March 2013

Sunshine Review (Danny Boyle week)

To honer the new Danny Boyle Film coming out this week i am going to celebrate this by only reveiwing his films all week

As you could see from the title this i about his 2007 sci-fi movie "sunshine"

Set in the future sunshine is about a spaceship and its crew flying to the sun in order the deliver a nuclear pay load to restart the heart of the sun as they get closer and closer to the sun they find the remains of the lost ship that tried to make the journey to sun before them. They realize the whole crew is dead and they soon find out why as they get closer to the sun.

This film is FANTASTIC as a fan of science fiction films i thought i would like this movie but i was wrong i loved this film every single thing i liked especially the acting special effects and the musical score.

The Acting from Cillian murphy and the rest of the crew is spot on in both showing the hopelessness and wonder of the mission the crew have been given there is a great performance from a pre-captin america Chris Evans Cillian Murphy is amazing. this coupled with the special effects of the film leave you sat there open mouthed as you hope beyond hope the at the pay load will be delivered into the sun. the score only adds to the experience and it helps create moments of wonder and peril and is possibly the best score i have ever heard in a motion picture

This film is amazing and is one of boyles best the flaw in it is it takes a while to get into but the moment it passes the half an hour mark you cant stop watching it

I will give this film a 9/10