Crazy Stupid Love

The harsh reality of Cal Weaver's (Steve Carrell) marital crisis hits him hard when his wife Emily (Julianne Moore) reveals she has slept with her work colleague David Lindhagen (Kevin Bacon).
Cal is still very much in love with his wife and disagrees that the marriage has gone stale and the spark has gone. In spite of this he agrees to move out of the family home away from his beloved kids and into a flat on his own.

Cal struggles with life on his own and maintaining his relationship with his 2 young children, and due to a lack of loyal friends, finds himself spending his evenings propping up the bar at a local pub.

One of the evenings he gets the attention of Jacob, a local handsome womanizer played by Ryan Gosling. He is the epitome of a Lothario offering all the right pick up lines and never goes home alone.
Jacob sees Cal as a challenge and decides to educate him on how to dress, look and ultimately attract the ladies.

Cal's first attempts are a disaster with great comic results, but gradually he grows in confidence and soon becomes more like Jacob than intended.

At the same time, events take an ironic U turn for Jacob as he meets and falls head over heels for the pretty Hannah (Emma Stone) - who initially rejects his advances.

Cal is not 100% happy with his new life as he his still in love with his wife and after he accidentally learns that she does in fact miss and love him, he tries to win her back with the help of his kids.

There are a couple of very amusing sub-plots. One involving Cal's son Robbie's (Jonah Bobo) obsession with his babysitter, manages to be both cringe worthy and hysterical.
Plus Marisa Tomei playing Robbie's teacher Kate throws a spanner in the works along the way to hilarious effect.

The final scene of the film brings surprises galore for all the characters, and the slapstick scenes are brilliantly funny.
Steve Carrell and Ryan Gosling have great chemistry and comic timing together on screen, and all the female characters are excellent - in particular Moore and Tomei.


Crazy Stupid Love is more than a romantic comedy, it's a witty, cleverly written and well acted drama with just the right amount of warmth and romance to please both the male and the female.

Highly recommended!!!


Score: 8/10

Killer Elite

Another year, another mediocre Robert De Niro film!!!

I can't be overly cynical about a movie that involves Jason Statham, as the script was never going to be the relevant factor. Full of ridiculous OTT action - Yes!
Well, I knew what I was getting myself into so I can't really complain and will try to be constructive.

Based on a true story and set in the early 1980's, Danny (Statham) is a special ops agent forced out of retirement to save his friend and mentor - Hunter (De Niro), who's being held hostage in Oman by a wealthy sheik. Danny must hunt down and kill the people that murdered the sheik's three sons, in return for his friend's release. A six million pound reward is also on the table.

This is a massive feat as he must make all murders look accidental and force the victim to confess on camera. Also, all 3 killers are former British SAS men living in anonymity in Britain.
Danny recruits some former allies to help him in his mission to uncover his targets and ultimately kill them. Standing in their way is a secret society of former SAS agents who will stop at nothing to prevent the SAS's supposed wrongdoings being exposed to the world.

And that's basically it!!!

It's all about the fight scenes, car chases and corny macho one liners. If it was on as a two hour Sunday night drama on UTV after an X Factor fest it would be a great night of tv. However, this movie obviously wants to be more than mere TV fodder, but that's all it merits.

As for the acting, well Jason Statham is Jason Statham. He's not trying to be taken serious! Clive Owen is probably the best thing about the movie as the die hard SAS man fighting the cause. Although he is so much better than this middle of the road action farce. As for De Niro....

I'm baffled by his choices of films these days. Surely he doesn't need the money???
There is no way an actor of his caliber could have read this script and thought, yeah this is a challenge!
He's not on screen for a hell of a lot of time so I guess the producers thought that they'd throw a lot of money his way and hope that De Niro's name as top billing would make the movie a major attraction and a sure fire hit.
Well, this ceased to be the case a long time ago.

He is probably the best actor of our generation and I am a big fan but with his box office stature increasingly declining, his status as an acting legend is dangerously at risk.
There was a time when his mere name connected with a film, would guarantee an immediate buzz and interest. Nowadays it is the total opposite as unfortunately his bad reputation is exceeding him!

Wait for the DVD!


Score: 4/10

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Set in 1970's London, John Le Carre's espionage classic is eventually brought to the big screen. Already a huge award winning success on the small screen in the late 70's this movie had a lot to live up to.

Former British Intelligence agent George Smiley (Gary Oldman) comes out of retirement to investigate and ultimately uncover a soviet double agent working within the Circus (headquarters of British Intelligence MI6).
This is not Smiley's first time to be involved in this investigation. His former chief (Control) played by John Hurt and Smiley himself were forced into retirement due to a botched attempt under their command in Budapest to retrieve information about the spy. It ended in bloodshed and caused embarrassment worldwide to the Government and MI6 heads.

The new chief of MI6 Percy Alleline (Toby Jones), his deputy Bill Haydon (Colin Firth) and several other members of the board are aware of an investigation taking place and are therefore reluctant to help Smiley and his right hand man Peter Guillam (Benedict Cumberbatch) with their efforts.

Instead they mix it up with plenty of red herrings to keep the investigation off their scent. Smiley finds a ally in the shape of Ricki Tarr (Tom Hardy). British Intelligence would seem to have underestimated Tarr's work ethic and whilst giving him the dirty and more menial work within the organisation, he has come up with a source and some vital information to help Smiley expose the mole.

As the title reads, Smiley learns early on in the movie who the Tinker, Tailor and the Solider are. But who is the Spy? And who can he trust?

I didn't actually see the TV version of the show, and as it was a seven part series it kind of explains a lot about the film's main flaw. There seems to be too many characters and subplots put into only 2 hours of film.
You need to have your wares about you to keep up. It's filmed with a lot of flashback and forwards which are not always effective or very relevant.

There are lots of pluses though. When you get to grips with the characters and the MI6 lingo it's really gripping and tense. The acting is amazing from a strong British cast. Gary Oldman is so at ease and convincing in the role that he doesn't need to step out of second gear.
John Hurt is as enigmatic as ever but the big surprise for me was Benedict Cumberbatch (TVs new Sherlock Holmes) as Smiley's aide. He steals every scene and was obviously not intimidated by the stellar more experienced cast.
Plus he has to have to coolest name in the business nowadays!!!

Overall this a brilliantly scripted and acted film that falls short of being called perfect viewing due to an excess of vague subplots and a glut of characters.

Definitely worth the ticket price though!


Score: 8/10

Fright Night 3D

On the back of many mediocre horror remakes comes a breath of fresh air in Fright Night. An eighties cult horror movie updated with a 3D option.

Charley (Anthony Yelchin) is an average high school guy trying to break away from his nerdy past and friends, to impress his hot girlfriend Amy (Imogen Potts). Charley lives with his mum (Toni Collette) in a suburban estate with your everyday run of the mill happenings.

Charley's next door neighbour Jerry (Colin Farrell) is a mystery to Charley and his pals and they suspect after a great deal of spying that his is a vampire!
Jerry has an enigmatic presence that attracts the ladies and much to Charley's annoyance, Jerry starts to make a play for his mum.
When some of the locals and Charley's friends mysteriously disappear, Charley decides to investigate and expose Jerry using some new evidence he stumbles upon.

This proves to be a tall order as Jerry is no ordinary vampire and mere crucifixes and garlic will not suffice. He decides to contact a high profile celebrity, gothic illusionist Peter Vincent (David Tenant) to help him assist in his conquest.
Vincent has a history with vampires and surrounds himself with various vampire repellent aids, in fear of a repeat of past events.

Fright Night starts off slow but once it hits the half hour mark it never lets up, with endless tongue in cheek gags, scary scences and good effects. The 3D is a big letdown. It's fairly pointless and adds nothing to the overall experience of the film, so avoid it if you can.

All the cast are fine in their respective roles, but David Tenant is the stand out performance as the eccentric and wonderfully camp Peter Vincent.

Not for the closed minded among us, but a treat for those who like a quirky horror!


Score: 7/10

Friends With Benefits

Billed as an alternative romantic comedy, Justin Timberlake (Dylan) and Mila Kunis (Jamie) are high powered executives at the top of their career. When Jamie headhunts Dylan for a job at GQ magazine in New York, they strike up an unlikely friendship.

Both are unlucky in love and find solace in each others pitfalls. One night while they are chilling watching a DVD, they decide if they can't find a partner they at least deserve a sex life. Who better than each other to fill this void in their lives.

They decide on a no strings attached arrangement, which initially suits them.
However, in time they find that not only does the sexual side to their relationship prove to be a hit but their feelings for each other start to grow and grow.

It doesn't go as planned as they are both in denial about their feelings but when they spend some time apart, it becomes apparent that they need to bring things further.

Friends with benefits is not exactly rocket science but certainly entertains. There is good chemistry between both leading stars. The script is quite racy and some scenes are fairly explicit, which adds to the tepid plot and jazzes the movie up. This is great for the adults as both actors are easy on the eye, but I certainly wouldn't recommend bringing anyone under 16 years of age.

There are sub-plots, among them Paul's father's struggle with Alzheimer's which never really goes anywhere. Woody Harrelson has what is probably one of the worst miscast supporting roles ever, playing one of Dylan's gay colleagues. Totally unnecessary!
Much better on the acting front are Patricia Clarkson as Jamie's irresponsible, heavy drinking mother and Jenna Elfman get's some very funny one liners as Dylan's sister.

However, it's a rom com after all so it was never gonna be ground breaking. There are some laugh out loud moments, snappy dialogue and it's fast paced but I'd wait for the DVD unless you're a big fan of either of the main stars.

Overall, a mediocre night out at the cinema but a good night in on DVD!


Score: 6/10

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Set in modern day San Francisco, Will Rodman (James Franco) is a scientist conducting genetic experiments on chimpanzees in the hope of a cure for Alzheimer's.
Rodman, has a personal interest in the these tests as his father – who lives with him, is in the early stages of the disease.

When one of the Chimps escapes and goes on the rampage in the test centre, Rodman's boss orders all the chimps to be put down, therefore aborting the experiment.
However, he is unaware that the chimp they were experimenting on had given birth before being killed and hid it's young in her cage away from the human eye.
Rodman is convinced by a fellow professor to take the chimp home as it would likely meet the same fate as the rest of the chimps.

It soon becomes clear that the chimp (Caesar) has inherited his mother's intelligence and over the years becomes like a child to Rodman and his father, even learning how to communicate with his adult friends through sign language. He resides with them in their spacious house but is not permitted to leave.

Seeing how bad his father's increasing dementia is becoming, Rodman decides to test the sample on him. The initial response is good but sometime later his system rebels against it and the dementia returns.

During one of the father's lapses, he wanders out of the house and has an altercation with an angry neighbour.
Caesar witnesses this from his window, escapes from the house and violently attacks the neighbour. This results in him being sent to a primate facility, which is not as pc as initially perceived by Will and his new girlfriend Caroline (Freida Pinto).

This is were all the action begins as Caesar is unhappy being locked up like a pet and Will is upset having to hand him over to the authorities, but promises to fight for his release.
Caesar begins to rebel and after some brawls with fellow apes it becomes clear that he is not to be messed with and quickly forms some alliances.
A thorn in his side is the evil guard played by Harry Potter's Tom Felton. He can see Caesar practically reading his mind and watching his every move, therefore makes his life hell in the facility, taunting and teasing him relentlessly.

The longer the human thinking Caesar remains in the facility, the more pro-Ape and less pro-Human he becomes. Meanwhile Rodman is working on an improved version of the drug but again it seems to only make the humans worse and the apes stronger and wiser. There is also the risk of a global epidemic if a human is unnecessarily exposed to the drug.

It is inevitable that sooner or later there will be a rebellion by the apes and they will escape from their confinement. When this happens, there are obvious areas they wanna hit but Caesar's concern is freeing all apes form any form of captivity and makes it clear to the other apes that humans should not be harmed whilst doing so. This is easier said than done!

The first half of this movie is as heartfelt a movie as you will ever see and will make you question lots of things, mainly mankind's attitude toward animals and their continuing use of them in their search for cures to human illnesses.
This will no doubt create many talking points for the viewer and arguments in the car home or in the pub later.
Also, those who are overly religious should beware, as Darwin's evolution theory has never been more highlighted. The apes emote the same as humans, look like humans and communicate like humans.

The second half of the movie is non-stop action and the final scene on the Golden Gate Bridge is awesome. Acting credits go to the wonderful John Lithgoe as Will's father, Franco is fine and Frieda Pinto looks pretty!

However, the movie belongs to Caesar and his fellow apes. The special effects and sounds effects team have done something incredible here and not only is their work fantastic to witness, it's also quite unnerving and scary at times.

It's difficult to negatively critique a film that offers the whole package but the ending does let it down as it offers very little closure. This however, is the only drawback to an otherwise cracking movie.

Score: 9/10

Super 8

A group of teenagers obsessed with horror films and all things ghoulish are making their very own movie on a dark night in 1979, when they vividly witness a horrific train crash.
They all agree that they should keep their witnessing of this incident to themselves. However, the kids are unaware that something escaped from the train that night that will change their lives forever.

Events inside their small community town take a strange turn and as these events all seem to originate from that fatal night, the teens decide to take matters into their own hands and try find the cause of these eerie happenings.

Add to this, a government cover up, the discovery of an alien crash landing in the 50”s, a father and son's troubled relationship and you have the makings of an absorbing and intriguing teen action flick.

J.J.Abrams, the brains behind TVs Lost writes and directs Super 8 with some production help from Steven Spielberg and what they give us is what you'd expect from such a collaboration – A Supernatural meets Fantasy crowd pleaser!

Both young leading actors - Joel Courtney and Elle Fanning are superb, with the later being annoyingly talented. The fact that the cast is short of Hollywood A Lister's instills likeability and belief into the film.

It kills me to compare Super 8 to the classic that is 'The Goonies' but I'm afraid it cannot be helped.
In fact it has so many similarities, the cute intelligent weedy kid with a crush on the elusive (out of his league) girl, the chubby guy, the funny quirky kid, etc.,

But who cares, it's faced paced with lots of funny one liners from an excellent young cast, plenty of action and scary moments to keep the adults on board and a cracking soundtrack featuring the likes of ELO and Blondie.

So, is Super 8 the Goonies of this generation?

Absolutely!!!


Score: 8/10

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2 (3D)

So, the end of the Harry Potter series finally arrives! What does this mean? Well, to anyone who hasn't seen the previous 7 movies - nothing! Therefore there's not much point in reading this review.
However, for those among us who have been avidly awaiting a Harry Potter movie for each of the past 7 years, there will be mixed feelings at the series coming to an end.

The 2nd part of the Deathly Hallows starts off exactly were the 1st one left off, so if your memory's a bit rusty then watch the end of the 1st part again. It's pretty much obvious to fans of the franchise what the premise of the story is but here's a quick synopsis!

Harry is desperately tracking down the remaining 2 of the 3 hocruxes in order to destroy the evil Lord Voldemort. Professor Snape is now the headmaster at Hogwarts after the devastating death of Professor Dumbledore. He's not a popular choice among the remaining staff and pupils in light of his betrayal. Harry is in hiding in lieu of these events so steers clear of Hogwarts.

Harry knows that Voldemore is in hot pursuit of him as he already possesses one of the three hocruxes essential in maintaining Voldemore's immortality. By having this in his possession, he knows that all of his friends and family are in danger so he makes the attempt to head out alone. This proves more difficult than he imagined as Hermione and Ron refuse to leave his side.

There are lots of twists along the way, some that I didn't see coming as I didn't read the books. The action never lets up and the script is the most
complex yet, which I suppose is to be expected seeing as it's the finale and there are a lot of loose ends to be tied up.

The film contains practically every A list to C list actor working in the British film industry at present. Which begs the question, what are the C Lister's going to do for work after 7 steady years?

The exciting ending doesn't disappoint, it was worth wearing the 3D glasses for this alone. Then there's the overly twee final scenes which you can't help but be moved by.

So, it's goodbye to Harry and Co. It's been an amazing ride from an ingenious creator with equally talented directors, writers and actors.
They'll make great bank holiday movies and for those who haven't seen them, well I'm jealous!!!


Score: 9/10

Transformers - Dark of the Moon 3D

A big fan of the first Transformers movie, I was so disappointed with the second one. This is generally the case with sequels, bar a few - The Godfather 2 being the obvious one and Airplane 2 not so obvious but still funnier than the first.

After the mess that was - Transformers 2 (Revenge of the Fallen), the media speculation was that it was a back to basics scenario for number 3 (Dark of the Moon). Well, it couldn't have been more wrong!

I'm not gonna waste time explaining the plot as it's paper thin and basically a re-hash of the last 2 plots with a few new transformers thrown in for good measure. There are about 10 endings in the last half hour of an arduous 2 hours and 40 mins - and I foolishly only ordered a medium popcorn.

There are some plusses though. A lot of the action scenes were spectacular in 3D, especially one scene which sees army recruits jumping out of a helicopter with sky gliding suits on them. That was the stand out scene.

Gone is Megan Fox but guys need not worry as the beautiful Victoria Secrets model Rosie Huntington Whiteley takes the reigns as the hottie. She may be hot but she should stick to catwalks and avoid film sets forever.
Hollywood big shots Frances McDormand and John Malkovich join in the antics as well -shame on them!!! They obviously wanted to have a bit of fun chasing shadows on a big set as I can't think of another reason why they'd sign up for this kind of tripe.

Smarmy Doctor McDreamy (Patrick Dempsey) from Grey's Anatomy also joins the fun and plays - a smarmy company executive. Really stretching his acting skills on his summer break from tv!!!

I can't finish without mentioning the script. You'll go a long way before you find a worse one. It must've been dreamed up by the writer's 3 year old nephew. It contains the most cringing unfunny one liners and cheesy dialogue.

If you're a Transformers fan and feel I've been harsh, I apologise but it's all true. Don't even rent it when it comes out on DVD, wait til Stephen's day in 2 years time when RTE show it.


Score: 2/10

X Men - First Class

A prequel to the X-Men series of movies chronicling how archenemies - Professor X and Magneto and the various mutants first realised their amazing powers.

The realisations kick off dramatically in a concentration camp in Germany in 1944 and after various revelations and incidents along the way, the actions hots up in 1962 in both London the US.

The effects are amazing as usual and the plot actually matches the effects on this occasion - unlike X-Men 2 and 3. This is mainly due to the scope of stories the writer can turn to. It explains in depth how the once close friends X and Magneto become enemies and how their dedicated brood of mutants decide on which leader they'll stick by. Their is also the MINOR subplot of the evil General Shaw (Kevin Bacon) trying to take over the world.

James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender easily match Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen's performances as X and Magneto. Kevin Bacon is always eerie to watch and doesn't disappoint here.

Here's hoping there's a sequel to this prequel???


Score: 8/10

The Rite

Irish newcomer Colin O'Donoghue is Michael Kovak, a trainee priest with huge doubts over his calling. He announces to his superior, Father Matthew that due to a lack of faith he wishes to resign. If he leaves Michael would have to pay a sufficient student loan, therefore Father Matthew strikes a deal with him to convince him to stay. If he attends an exorcism seminar in Rome and afterwards is still not convinced that the priesthood is for him, the loan will be cancelled and he can leave the cloth a free man.

During his time in Rome, it becomes obvious that he is a total sceptic and it is recommended that he visit Father Lucas (Anthony Hopkins) who is renowned for performing exorcisms. He spends a lot of time with Father Lucas and sits in on a couple of exorcisms, however he remains unconvinced that there are any demonic goings on. That is until Father Lucas beings to act very strange and shows some signs of demonic possession himself. Kovak himself is experiencing his own illusions of his own concerning his dead mother and his estranged mortician father, played by Rutger Hauer

Kovak befriends curious reporter Angeline (Alice Braga) and together they set about helping Father Lucas. In order to do this he must put his own demons behind him and step into the relatively unknown world of exorcism.

Anthony Hopkins dusts of his Hannibal Lecter character for this role and is fantastic - as usual! He plays demonic so well that he alone is reason enough to watch the movie. O'Donoghue is excellent as the spiritually confused priest and has a really good rapore on screen with Hopkins. The plot is quite flimsy and it's not the scariest exorcism movie ever made. In saying that there are plenty of scares and tense moments to please horror thriller fans.


Score: 5/10

Oscar predictions

Oscar night tonight, so here are my predictions on what I think will and what should win. Feel free to air your opinions and your own predictions!

Best Actor - Colin Firth (The King's Speech)

Hands down winner. No question, and totally deserved

Best Actress - Natalie Portman (Black Swan)

Again, a hands down winner. Gritty role, played brilliantly. She'll never get a part like it again.

Best supporting actor - Christian Bale (The Fighter)

He went to extreme methods to prepare for the part in The Fighter and is no doubt superb but my vote would go to Jeffrey Rush in The King's Speech. He'll lose out mainly because he is already an Oscar winner. It's a disgrace that Andrew Garfield was not nominated for The Social Network. He was the outstanding actor for me in that movie and I just don't understand his omission from the list of nominees.

Best supporting actress - Melissa Leo (The Fighter)

She has it in the bag for sure and is a deserved winner. However, I would chose Hailee Steinfeld over her as she was incredible in True Grit. The only good thing about the movie and for a 14 year old to carry that off for 2 hours is no mean feat.

Best original screenplay - The King's Speech

Lots of competition here but as scripts go, you don't get much better than this.

Best adapted screenplay - The Social Network

Again, amazing script. So clever and a definite winner

Best director - David Fincher

He'll win it as it's his time. I personally don't think he deserves it, even though I am a huge fan. He'll be getting it for the wrong film. The best direction of the year should go to Christopher Nolan for Inception but he's not even nominated. Disgrace! It's the most intricate/ground breaking direction ever seen.

Best film - The Social Network

I reckon it will just pip The Fighter and The King's Speech to it. Deservedly so as it's a fantastic film.

True Grit

This review is going to be short and sweet!

When I heard that the brilliant Coen Brothers directed this remake of the heralded western 'True Grit' I was intrigued as to what they'd do to the old classic to put their mark on it. The result?
NOTHING...

There is no point in explaining the plot as I'm sure most people will have seen the original. It hasn't changed in this 2011 version.
Jeff Daniels portrays the character Rooster Cogburn, played in the original by the enigmatic (and rather annoying) John Wayne and the usually watchable Matt Damon is miscast in the Glen Campbell role.

I never seen the big deal with the original True Grit when I was a kid but watched this version with an open mind. There are no clever Coen Brothers quirks nor is the direction by any means outstanding. In fact, the whole thing is totally pointless. They have basically made an average update of an already average film. They could have done so much here as by the looks of it they were given plenty of money by the studio.

The only redeeming factor the movie has is the stunning performance by 14 year old newcomer Hailee Steinfeld as the gutsy Mattie Ross seeking the help of Cogburn to track down her fathers killer. She acts Daniels off the screen and carries the
film.

The Coen Brothers totally disappoint here and were obviously bored and killing time. I can't think of another reason. There are lots of good film makers out there crying out for a decent budget to match their original scripts but yet the studio execs continue to dish out big bucks to high end well known directors. It doesn't always work and True Grit is a prime example. No doubt it'll make money for the studio, especially in the States. The audience however don't gain from this.

Save your money for the next Coen Brothers offering and give this dud a miss!

Score: 3/10

Bleak Swan!!!

There are not many films that leave me totally lost for words when I leave the cinema. Black Swan is without doubt a very classy movie but is it any good?


Natalie Portman plays Nina the aspiring prima ballerina obsessed with getting the lead in her company's new production of Swan Lake. Nina lives with her mother (Barbara Hershey), herself a former ballerina who fuels Nina's passion for ballet in a domineering and controlled manner.

When the current prima ballerina Beth played by ( Winona Ryder) announces her retirement, Nina sets hers sights on taking her role regardless of the consequences.
After the company director Thomas (Vincent Cassel) announces Nina as his first choice, both Nina and her mother are ecstatic.
However, there is a new kid on the block in the shape of the beautiful Lily (Mila Kunis) which means Nina has competition.

The lead role requires the dancer to play both the roles of the white swan and the black swan. Nina is the perfect white swan but Lily is equally perfect as the black swan. Reluctantly, Nina becomes a friend of sorts with the effervescent and social Lily, much to her mothers disgust.

So intent is Nina on emulating her new ally's performance as the black swan and achieving perfection that she becomes totally paranoid and somehwhat schizophrenic with fatal results.



There is no doubt that Portman's performance is incredible and it's the role of a lifetime for her. She portrays the eerie character with such class and intrigue. The always watchable Hershey is excellent as the over protective, if somewhat creepy mother. Cassel and the stunning Kunis provide great support along the way.
The other plus points are the costume design, the music and the direction.


My problem with Black Swan however is that about 70% of the movie makes for very uncomfortable viewing. It's a lot scarier than expected but not in a good way, it's also quite gory. Many parts were stomach churning and some may argue that this was necessary to the storyline. Fair enough, but for me the whole thing was a bit of a mess.
I perceived it as film noir with classy A Lister's being brought to a bigger audience. What the creators ultimately give us, is a darkly confused 70's style horror B movie that leaves a very bad taste in the mouth.

What a shame!

Score: 5/10

Tron 32 / 127 Hours / The King's Speech

Excuse my tardiness with these reviews and my absence from updating this blog but it's been a busy time. Anyway, I'll have to keep it sharp and brief and summarise the last 3 movies I've seen. Not ideal but here goes....

Tron 3D:
Not a remake of the original Jeff Bridges movie but more of a sequel. Jeff Bridges stars in it and it is based around his son trying to figure out his father's disappearance and how to access the digital world he may have have been sucked into. The movie is all about the graphics and the storyline is secondary. For me, the story worked really well and I am surprised at some of the mediocre reviews it has got. The 3D effects were not up there with Avatar or Alice in Wonderland and in fact I don't really think it was necessary to have it in 3D as the graphics were so brilliant. The acting is what you'd really expect from a sci-fi movie, and the performances are all fine. Although there is a stand out 'Mighty bootish' performance from Michael Sheen as a flamboyant club owner which is hilarious. The soundtrack by Daft Punk is incredible and they even make a cameo appearance as dj's playing their own music. Class!

Score: 7/10



127 Hours:

Based on a true story about Aron Ralston, a mountain climber who becomes trapped under a boulder whilst on a a expedition in Utah. I'm sure every movie fan is fully aware of the story by now. James Franco, who is fast becoming the man of the moment portrays Aron and the story impeccably. The film is fast paced and in fairness it kinda has to be as the viewer is obviously awaiting the inevitable to happen. This is the disadvantage of knowing the story in advance.
The overall footage of Ralston's time trapped are very upsetting and uncomfortable to watch. Franco has the screen presence to carry the movie on his own and manages to even bring some humour to an otherwise harrowing situation. Danny Boyle's music videoesque direction elevates the movie to cinema viewing level thus preventing it from being a made for TV movie/documentary. Not for the squeamish...

Score: 7/10


The King's Speech:

Nobody does a period drama like the Brits. This particular story is a relatively recent story as far as major Royal stories go. Set in and around the lead up to World War 2 Colin Firth plays Price Albert who would eventually go on to become King George VI - Yeah, sounds confusing but it's not really. Albert (or Bertie as he's known) has a severe stutter and has a fear of speaking in public. This would obviously hinder his responsive duties should he become king. He doesn't have the backing of his brother or his father and the only people showing him some sympathy are his beloved wife (Helena Bonham Carter) and his new ally - a back street speech therapist played by Jeffrey Rush.
It's a bit of and old style bromance movie between the heir to the throne and the speech therapist. There are some really funny and heartfelt moments. It also shows how sad and lonely the Royal lifestyle actually is.
Colin Firth is outstanding and will definitely win an Oscar for this. He should have won last year for 'A Single Man'. If there is any justice, Rush should win a gong for his supporting role. There are lots of excellent cameos by a mainly British cast and Guy Pearce pops up as Albert;s odious brother. Maybe not a winner for best movie among Oscar voters but the acting should be well rewarded.

Score: 8/10