Well 2010 has kicked off with some big movie releases. Here are my thoughts on a few of them:

FANTASTIC MR. FOX
An animation adventure written by Wes Anderson and Noah Baumbach (Margot at the Wedding, The Squid and the Whale, the Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou) based on the children’s book by Roald Dahl and directed by Wes Anderson (The Darjeeling Limited, The Royal Tenenbaums)
Mr. Fox (voiced by George Clooney) has a natural talent for getting out of scrapes in pursuit of chicken stealing - although after a near-miss some years earlier when Mrs. Fox (Meryl Streep) announced she was pregnant, he had vowed to stop living dangerously. But surrounded by temptation - a chicken farm, a squab farm and a cider distillery - he again succumbs to the thrill of the chase - and gets his family and some of their neighbouring wildlife, into heaps of trouble. The farmers, led by Franklin Bean (Michael Gambon) decide to put an end to him once and for all.
A lovingly realised, quirky and beautifully voiced stop-motion animation. George Clooney is perfectly cast as the charming but conceited Mr. Fox. It is really enjoyable because of its characterisation, it’s just like other Anderson films filled with eccentric characters and subtle comedy, only this time some of his usual cast (Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Willem Dafoe) are playing animated animals. The detail is just gorgeous with the animals’ quivering fur and expressive eyes, and the production design overall is very impressive and well-conceived. It’s sharply scripted and quirky in its humour (like all Wes Anderson films) rather than laugh-out-loud funny. It is a little bit too adult for very young kids, with some mature themes and messages about family dysfunction (like The Royal Tenenbaums). Like the recent Where the Wild Things Are, I am not sure of the target age, but adults can definitely enjoy it as a screwball sophisticated animated comedy, but with animalistic behaviour providing the laughs (particularly the way they eat!). If you don't enjoy Wes Anderson's style of humour though, chances are you won't enjoy this.
THREE AND A HALF STARS

SHERLOCK HOLMES
An action adventure written by Michael Robert Johnson, Anthony Peckham and Simon Kinberg (Jumper, Mr & Mrs Smith) based on the characters created by Arthur Conan Doyle and directed by Guy Ritchie (RocknRolla, Snatch)
When a string of murders baffles Scotland Yard, they call in Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jnr) and his colleague Dr Watson (Jude Law). What Holmes discovers is a set of clues that lead to a secretive cult whose driving force, Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong) is developing a plan to take control of Parliament with his own society and rule through fear. But there is another mysterious evil figure, who has hired the beautiful Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams), an accomplished sleuth herself and Holmes’ one time love interest, to find out information that could shift the balance of power.
This is not entirely successful but is a decent attempt at rebooting an old and appealing story. Director Guy Ritchie works well with Downey Jr’s persona and inherent charisma to create a smart but erratic character. Some of the script is sharp and creates strong relationships, but the overall story is unnecessarily convoluted, a bit obvious and not overly engaging. One of the things I particularly liked about the film was the interplay between Holmes and Watson, and Holmes and Rachel McAdams as Irene. The production design is excellent and gives a level of authenticity to the film, with some nice attention to detail, but some of the action scenes are too stylised to be effective and there is some dodgy CGI, especially towards the end. It has Ritchie’s directorial flair but I am not sure his stylistic touches benefit a period piece, with his fast-paced quickcutting style seeming incongruous. Some sequences also seem unnecessary, like the bare knuckle boxing, and I got bored by the length and unnecessary inclusion of several of the action setpieces. The film as a whole feels tongue-in-cheek rather than genuinely exciting or thrilling, which is disappointing given the source material and the calibre of the cast. Downey Jr, Law and McAdams all give strong performances, while Eddie Marsan and Kelly Reilly are good in supporting roles, but Mark Strong, usually so versatile, is let down by the scripting of his hammy villain and overplays it. It is enjoyable but flawed, and it’s clearly being set up for a franchise which comes across as a bit cocky; in fact there's really no subtlety in the film as a whole, and Ritchie’s decision to make aspects of the film feel contemporary gives it limited credibility.
THREE STARS

THE LOVELY BONES
A fantasy thriller/drama written by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings trilogy, King Kong) based on the bestseller by Alice Sebold and directed by Peter Jackson (King Kong, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Heavenly Creatures)
After 14-year-old Susie (Saorsie Ronan) from suburban Pennsylvania is murdered by a neighbour, she tells the story from the Inbetween, watching the lives of the people around her like her parents (Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz) and her younger sister Lindsey (Rose McIver). Her killer, George Harvey (Stanly Tucci) remains at large and undetected, although suspicions are raised - and he remains a threat, especially to Lindsey.
A strangely flat adaptation of an interesting and gripping book, which for me was very disappointing. Peter Jackson has really softened the darkness of the novel, and in the process reduced its profound exploration of death and grief. The characterisation is limited and too much time is spent in Suzi’s fantasy world in the inbetween, where not that much really happens and it makes the pacing feel way too SLOW! Some of the casting is excellent, particularly Susan Sarandon as Grandma Lynn, Saoirse Ronan and Stanley Tucci, who completely transforms himself in the role of George Harvey, the creepy and isolated murderer. Mark Wahlberg is okay as the desperate father even though I initially thought he was miscast, and he has some convincing scenes with Rachel Weisz as Abigail. The elements they have changed from the novel to the film made it resonate a lot less, and some important characters in the book only appear in brief, unsatisfying scenes. It may be a better experience if you haven’t read the book, but to me the fantastical elements seem a bit silly and excessively used in juxtaposition to the seriousness and horror of Suzi’s murder. Even though it is really long and drags frequently, it feels like there is not much depth – even the narration seems patchy and is inconsistently used. The visuals and cinematography are admittedly striking but more focus should have been on the reality of the murder and the relationships affected by intense grief – strangely it feels like a superficial approach, especially compared to how successfully Jackson combined horror with fantasy in Heavenly Creatures. A missed opportunity for something really special.
TWO AND A HALF STARS

IT’S COMPLICATED
A romantic comedy written and directed by Nancy Meyers (The Holiday, Something’s Gotta Give, What Women Want)
Bakery/restaurateur Jane Adler (Meryl Streep) mother of three grown kids, after a decade of divorce, has an amicable relationship with her ex-husband, attorney Jake (Alec Baldwin). But when Jane and Jake find themselves out of town for their son’s college graduation, things start to get complicated after a wine-fuelled meal which in turn becomes a laugh-filled evening of memories about their 19-year marriage...and then to an impulsive affair. With Jake remarried to the much younger Agness (Lake Bell), Jane is now the other woman. Caught in the middle of this renewed romance is also divorced Adam (Steve Martin), an architect hired to remodel Jane’s kitchen, who starts to fall for Jane, but realizes he’s become part of an unusual love triangle.
An enjoyable but inconsistent romantic comedy for older adults. It’s nice to see people over fifty treated as sexual beings, with a smart and at times very witty script allowing Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin to flesh out their characters with a bit of depth. Some younger guys in the cinema behind me were saying “gross” out loud when there were scenes of intimacy, but I think if there is one thing Meyers does really well, it’s respecting the fact that just because people age, they don’t stop wanting to be desired, and it’s not confronting, mostly because the characters resonate strongly and have a laugh with it. It’s a pity romantic comedies so often are so functionally directed; there’s just no flair, they rely solely on script and performance – from the boring opening credits you know there will be very straightforward composition, camera work and cinematography! It is a bit slow to start but there are a few great scenes in the middle section. John Krasinski provides some of the best laughs and makes the most of his supporting role as son-in-law to be Harley, with some great comic timing – it’s nice to see him inhabit a character other than The Office’s Jim. Meryl Streep really elevates the material above the story and direction at times, but her character's world is a little too perfect to be really insightful. I quite liked the ending because it’s not entirely predictable. Overall it’s fun at times but uneven, not nearly as consistently funny or insightful about relationships and older people as Something’s Gotta Give, but it’s not the fault of the performances.
THREE STARS

AVATAR 3D
A sci-fi action adventure written and directed by James Cameron (Ghosts of the Abyss, Titanic, Dark Angel (TV), True Lies, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Aliens)
Paraplegic war vet Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), is sent to the exotic planet Pandora, replacing his brother, who was killed. Although he’s part of the military under the command of Col. Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), the human presence is driven by a corporation mining a unique mineral alongside a scientific probe directed by Dr Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver). Humans cannot breathe Pandoran air, so they genetically engineer human/Na’vi hybrids known as Avatars. The indigenous Na’vi are resentful - but Princess Neytiri (Zoë Saldana) befriends him and becomes his guide and protector on the strange planet. Jake is soon caught in the middle of the conflict between the Na’vi and the human military machine raping their world.
You really have to admire James Cameron’s vision and story telling ability in this film – it really is as groundbreaking, engaging and visually stunning as the hype would have you believe. I was scared this would be like watching a video game, but Cameron has put a huge amount of thought and careful detail into the world of Pandora, with some truly gorgeous and seamless CGI visuals, as he conveys his love and appreciation for the natural environment and makes us completely opposed to the destruction of it by the “sky” people. Sam Worthington is well-cast as the fearless yet inherently decent damaged hero. One of the things I like best about Cameron is his respect for his female characters – he writes some of the strongest parts for women in Hollywood. Weaver is again great as an intelligent, passionate and strong-willed scientist frustrated by the military, and Zoe Saldana brings feistiness to her romantic lead. Even Michelle Rodriguez creates a memorable and likable character with a small amount of screen time. Stephen Lang creates a really hateful villain, although his dialogue is at times a little bit over-the top. It doesn’t matter how good the visuals are you have to hang it on a good story, and Avatar has a captivating one. It bears similarities to Dances with Wolves and The Last of the Mohicans, about an indigenous culture that is being destroyed by white man, and Cameron’s story is symbolic in its approach. It is at times moving, and often breathtaking with well-staged and exciting action sequences. It is very long but only drags slightly near the end with a bit too much spiritual mumbo jumbo. I liked it much more than I thought I was going to, with the difference being this is a sci-fi blockbuster made by a director who really cares about story, romance and character. And I highly recommend seeing it in 3D, it really is something special, and helps immerse you in the story and remind you of the spectacle and experience great cinema can provide.
FOUR STARS

TOOTH FAIRY
A so-called family comedy written by Lowell Ganz, Babaloo Mandel, (City Slickers, Parenthood, Fever Pitch) Joshua Sternin, Jeffrey Ventimilia, (Surviving Christmas) and Randi Mayem Singer (Mrs Doubtfire) based on a story by Jim Piddock and directed by Michael Lembeck (The Santa Clause 2 & 3, Connie and Carla)
Derek Thompson (Dwayne Johnson) is a league ice-hockey player nicknamed The Tooth Fairy for his rough habit on the field of knocking out his opponents’ teeth. When Derek tells Tess (Destiny Whitlock), the young daughter of his girlfriend (Ashley Judd) the tooth fairy is not real, he finds himself summoned to Fairyland and sentenced to a couple of weeks working as a real tooth fairy with Tracy (Stephen Merchant) as his case worker. To his horror, Derek realizes there is no alternative but to obey Lily the Head Fairy (Julie Andrews) and as he adapts to his new position, he remembers his own forgotten dreams.
I think this is up there as being one of the worst films I have ever seen. It’s just so ill-conceived and not remotely funny, which is obvious from the very first scenes. One of the film’s fatal flaws is that you don’t care about Dwayne Johnson’s character at all, and he’s actually really annoying and quite unpleasant. Johnson tries hard but his usual charisma can’t help the awful script and obvious narrative, where none of the gags work. The film was partly greenlit around the sight gag of seeing The Rock in a fairy outfit with tutu, and it just falls so flat, it’s just a lame idea. I was very sad to see the talented and appealing Ashley Judd reduced to the girlfriend part in this kind of rubbish – her character is barely fleshed out, and there’s no chemistry between her and The Rock; they are a total mismatch. Stephen Merchant (Extras) manages to brighten proceedings considerably whenever he is on screen and provides a couple of nice moments. Julie Andrews and Billy Crystal are also not terrible in their brief roles, but are just forced to deal with extremely cheesy dialogue and lowbrow humour. Some of the effects are dodgy on top of everything else that is wrong with the film. Its obviousness might appeal to kids, but the lead characters is quite mean at various times, and it would be hard for younger viewers to reconcile the fairytale aspects with some of the film’s harsher moments. Overall it’s just charmless in its execution and I cringed through most of it.
ONE STAR

UP IN THE AIR
A romantic drama co-written with Sheldon Turner (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning) and directed by Jason Reitman (Juno, Thank You For Smoking) based on the novel by Walter Kirn
Ryan Bingham (George Clooney), a specialist in firing people who loves his life on the road, is forced to fight for his job when his company downsizes its travel budget, thanks to smart little graduate, Natalie (Anna Kendrick). He is threatened with being grounded at base, right on the cusp of a goal he’s worked toward for years: reaching 10 million frequent flyer miles ... and just after he’s met his apparent frequent-traveler perfect match, Alex (Vera Farmiga). A resolute bachelor and opportunist, he is not prepared for the emotions that these two women bring to his life.
Up in the Air is at the complete opposite end of the spectrum to the awful Tooth Fairy, and is an early contender for my best film of the year. Unexpectedly one of the most moving, truthful and heartbreaking films I’ve seen in a long time which is not really the feel-good film the trailer suggests. Reitman balances comedy with plenty of deadly serious material and as a portrait of loneliness as a form of self-preservation, it’s exceptional. It seems like a brave role for George Clooney as the character of Ryan Bingham has some obvious similarities to him, especially around his desire to be on the move, remain a bachelor and not have children. All of the characters are flawed, but are well-drawn and completely convincing. The subject matter of firing people and the economic downturn is fairly grim, but there is a great deal of humanity in the film’s approach to it, and extra realism from the fact that many of the extras cast to describe their feelings had really just lost their jobs – it’s so resonant. The family scenes also are so awkward and truthful too in capturing estrangement. The performances are excellent, especially from the three leads, with Anna Kendrick managing to make a driven, uptight and blunt character strangely likeable and there is a strong chemistry between Vera Farmiga and Clooney – they really look like they are having a great time together. All the support cast are strong, JK Simmons and Zach Galifianakis great as victims of job loss, and Jason Bateman playing it straight as Ryan’s calculated boss. The script is sharp, yet there are moments of real humour and warmth, with Ryan’s tentative approach to romancing Farmiga’s Alex so poignant. The direction is understated yet perfectly conveys Ryan’s isolation, routines and attitude to life. The soundtrack is well thought-out and perfectly matches the narrative. Up in the Air makes you think about career and life choices, connection with people and mortality, and stays with you long after the film has ended. It also has some surprises along the way, and doesn't end up where you might expect. My only minor issue with it is there is a slightly conservative underlying theme surrounding family, but it does not detract from the film. It’s extremely affecting and I really loved it and didn’t want it to end.
FOUR AND A HALF STARS

BRIGHT STAR
A romantic drama/biography written and directed by Jane Campion (In the Cut, The Portrait of a Lady, The Piano)
London 1818: Twenty three year old John Keats (Ben Whishaw) dedicates himself to writing poetry, despite having no means to support himself, living with his long-time friend Charles Armitage Brown (Paul Schneider). When he meets his neighbour Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish), a flirtatious 18 year old obsessed with designing her own distinctive clothes, their relationship develops from a playful flirtation to a connection of souls and a life-long commitment.
A gorgeously filmed exceedingly romantic period piece. The detail is just lovely, with Campion achieving painterly composition throughout the film with beautiful colours and contrast, through Greig Fraser’s cinematography. Campion is a very intelligent filmmaker – Bright Star is considered and carefully executed. The romance is beautifully constructed and played out, and is extremely moving. There were many touching moments and I cried several times. The script is very good and I was surprised by the frequent moments of humour, especially at the start of the film. I liked the depiction of Fanny’s family and their closeness, especially her mother (Kerry Fox, An Angel at My Table) and sister (Edie Martin, in her first screen role). Both Cornish and Whishaw embody their roles beautifully, and the characters feel authentic. Paul Schneider (Lars and the Real Girl) steals every scene he is in playing the sarcastic, witty and upfront Mr Brown, who is protective of Keats. I think it’s a shame if Cornish doesn’t at least get nominated for a best actress Oscar – her performance is the heart of the film and she is extremely moving in her anguish. Keats’ poetry complements the narrative flow of the romance, whether being read by Fanny or spoken by Keats, and it is not overdone or dry. The pacing sags a little bit after the middle section and set-up of the romance, and the film may have benefitted from some editing and a slightly shorter running time (119 minutes) – some scenes detailing Keats’ illness could have been trimmed. It’s rare to be so transported by a romantic film these days, even with the absolute realism that is used to depict the every day life of the period. It’s touching and tender, and captures the pain of a forbidden and ultimately doomed love affair expertly.
FOUR STARS

INVICTUS
A biographical sports drama written by Anthony Peckham (Sherlock Holmes, Don’t Say a Word) based on the book by John Carlin and directed by Clint Eastwood (Gran Torino, Changeling, Million Dollar Baby, Mystic River)
In his first historic term as President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman), faces the tensions and divisions of a post apartheid nation, where whites and blacks are equally suspicious of the other. Mandela, who had survived 27 years in prison (clinging to the spiritual message of William Ernest Henley’s poem, Invictus – Latin for unconquered) believes that the South African white man’s sport - rugby (‘a hooligan’s game, played by gentlemen’) - can help bring his people closer together, as he has become aware that the black majority is rooting for ‘the other team’, rather than the Springboks home team at rugby games. So he makes it his mission, through the captain, Francois Pinnear (Matt Damon) to inspire and encourage the struggling Springboks to lift their game as they head for the 1995 Rugby World Cup - as the underdogs, believing the rugby team represents far more than simply a sport (‘one team, one country’).
An inspirational and interesting story competently filmed by Clint Eastwood, but this is let down for me by its focus on one sporting event instead of a deeper exploration of the amazing Nelson Mandela. The insight into Mandela and Francois Pienaar is relatively superficial, and a couple of small moments could have been expanded to add more depth to the film, especially in relation to Mandela’s relationship with his family, which is barely touched upon. Its focus is narrow, but it is successful as a stirring sports film, with the rugby scenes intense and very well-filmed to make you part of the bone-crunching action. One of Eastwood’s biggest flaws as a director is an occasional lack of subtlety in the significant moments, and I felt here the message of unity was hammered home too hard, and it is was too corny in its approach, with cliched dialogue unbalancing the weight of the subject matter. It felt really long and for me it just wasn’t as uplifiting as it should have been given the amazing source story and people. There are some lovely moments, particularly involving the Springboks training young kids and their visit to Mandela’s prison cell, and the security personnel’s guarded bonding over a game of rugby. Matt Damon does a pretty good job at being a commanding presence, especially given he is much smaller than the real Piennar and does an occasionally impeccable attempt at a South African accent. For some reason, even though I think he is perfectly cast, I had trouble separating Morgan Freeman from his persona as Morgan Freeman and believing him as Nelson Mandela; for me, it wasn’t completely successful, compared to a film like Milk where Sean Penn really became Harvey Milk and you forgot about the actor playing him, that just didn’t quite happen for me with Invictus, even though Nelson Mandela himself has said that only Morgan Freeman could portray him. The recreation of the time and place seem really authentic but the soundtrack by Eastwood’s son Kyle is overbearing and somewhat trite. I enjoyed it but I can see why its fallen out of awards contention – it’s a good film, but not a great one.
THREE AND A HALF STARS

Hello everyone!

Well...., I'm back after a quick jaunt around the world. Five continents, many countries and adventures with stories and photos to accompany but that's for some other time because this is Film Central. This post will be huge as I'll chuck up my last reviews of 2009 as I didn't get time to post them before I left but they are still relevant as most of them are now on dvd. Then you'll get my top films of 2009 and then the first films for this year. Crumbs! So plenty of reading to follow. I'm excited to be back and looking forward to another huge year of Film Central!


G Force
Directed by Hoyt Yeatman and starring Bill Nighy, Will Arnett, Zach Galifianakis and the voices of Sam Rockwell, Nicholas Cage, Penelope Cruz, Jon Favreau and Tracy Morgan.
There is a special branch of secret agents that happen to be guinea pigs and they can talk and fight any opponent. When their section is closed down after a failed operation they go under the radar to stop a mad man from taking over the world.
Stupid. That's it pretty much. This is really stupid unintelligent drivel and I'm saying this not from an adult's perspective but from a kid's, well as much as I can be a kid. I'm a big fan of kid's flicks and the secret to a good one is treating the kids like they're smart and not insult them with weak storylines, poor character development and bad film making. Before I get stuck in I will say that the human part of the cast are all quite good even if Nighy is slumming it in this film. The guinea pigs though, who are meant to be the stars of the film are horrible, their personalities are bland, not engaging and even a bad version of stereotyping voices with actions even though they're guinea pigs, although saying that the voice cast do seem to match them well. Kids are smart enough to know good from bad and even though this films throws in a nice twist at the end and has some good special effects it is ultimately unrewarding and the kids will get fidgety and the parents will get bored.
A 1 out of 5.

Charlie And Boots
Directed by Dean Murphy and starring Paul Hogan, Shane Jacobson and Morgan Griffin.
After the death of Charlie's wife he withdraws from everyone sitting at home in the dark but then his son Boots insist they take a trip to the most northern point of Australia to do some fishing.
Well I expected not much from this film and that's what I got. To be honest this film is a bit ordinary and it's kind of nice to get stuck into an Aussie film, don't get me wrong, I'm a massive supporter of Australian film but I suppose we need the bad to balance out with the good and Charlie And Boots falls into the bad. I've never seen Jacobson in Kenny and I have no great want to see it now because his acting in this is ordinary to say the least, he's lucky Hogan is there to pick the game up. Hogan is definitely getting older but there is still a charm to him, maybe because he reminds me of my Dad, but he does bring an authenticity and realness to his role. Griffin as the hitchhiker Jess adds a little charm to the film but her character is strong enough to help out. The actual film itself is on par with Jacobson truth be told, there is nothing amazing about it, in fact I found it a little rough, the colour and composition are ordinary although there were a couple of nicely shot scenes. I got fidgety in this film and very bored, we've seen a lot of Aussie road movies in the Holden scenario and this film doesn't add anything to it.
A 1.5 out of 5.

Aliens In The Attic
Directed by John Schultz and starring Carter Jenkins, Austin Butler, Ashley Tisdale, Ashley Boettcher and Robert Hoffman.
Aliens have landed and it's up to a bunch of kids to stop them from taking over the world.
It's kids season and here's another one for the mix between cgi and real life and if you weren't sure between this and G Force then I'll tell you straight up, it's this one. I thought this would be incredibly bad but it's actually a bit of fun and both the kids and adults will get a bit out of this. There's nothing amazing about the script or story but the character development is half engaging if cheesy, but the whole cast are quite good and make this film watchable. But the best by far in this film is Ashley Boettcher as the young Hannah who is the fantastic especially considering that she had to deal with cgi stuff as well and Robert Hoffman as Ricky the extremely unlikable boyfriend who has some wonderfully funny slapstick moments and pure goofiness. Ashley Tisdale needs to be mentioned seeing as she is an upcoming star, but she is ordinary in this and is just playing the same part as her role in High School Musical so she needs to branch out or she'll just keep rehashing the dumb blond role over and over again. The aliens are the weakest link in this film and although they're well animated they're poorly written, under developed and uninteresting which isn't great seeing as they're the focus of the film. The kids will like this film and they'll have some fun with it but the adults won't get much out of it at all and it won't stand up to repeated viewings that's for sure.
A 2 out of 5.

Ponyo
Written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and in the English speaking version starring the voices of Frankie Jonas, Noah Cyrus, Tina Fey, Liam Neeson, Matt Damon and Cate Blanchett.
Five year old Sosuke lives by the ocean with his mother and one day when he finds a goldfish trapped in a bottle who he names Ponyo. The goldfish is actually the daughter of a powerful wizard and a sea goddess and when she changes herself into human form it causes a dangerous imbalance in the world and her father sends the ocean's waves to find her while she and Sosuke try and save the world and fulfill her dreams of being human.
Everyone loves Mr. Miyazaki because the man is a genius and his animations are always full of magic, wonderment and beautiful simplicity combined with excellent story telling. And Ponyo is no different, he sets up an amazing world that is instantly accessible and intriguing to young and old, his ability to transpose the true excitement, naivety and imagination of children is matched by no one. This is a delightful film and is full of Miyazaki's trademark style, imaginative world and quirky creatures. This is standard fare for him and while it's not his best it's still definitely worth watching.
A 4 out of 5.

Sorority Row
Directed by Stewart Hendler and stars Rumer Willis, Briana Evigan, Margo Harshman, Jamie Chung, Leah Pipes and Audrina Patridge.
When a prank goes horribly wrong a group of sorority sisters cover up the death and attempt to go on as if nothing ever happened, but then a year later someone who knows what they did comes back for revenge.
Another horror movie and it's everything you expect from this sort of thing and I look forward to it because I like a good horror flick and the secret is having something smart that engages the intelligence of the viewer of revel in the cheesiness of it all. So, does Sorority Row meet the qualities I enjoy? Nope. Look it's fun there's no doubt about it and there are some nice twists but the thing that got me by the end was the choice of weapon to dispatch the victims, it's like the writers had done a lot of homework and thought of all the items that had been used in the history of horror films found one that hadn't and worked with that as the primary story inspiration and worked back from there making sure to include the obligatory naked film upper torso at some stage. So anything after that is pretty much well regulation horror film fare and if you're a fan of the genre then jump in and if you're not you won't care. The cast are the best bit about this film, Rumer WIllis continues her acting career and she's still alright and Evigan from Step Up 2 The Streets is still pretty good and the rest of cast do what they have to enough to make the film chug along.
A 2 out of 5.

(500) Days Of Summer
Directed by Marc Webb and starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel, Geoffrey Arend, Chloe Moretz, Matthew Gray Gubler and Clark Gregg.
Working at a L.A. greeting card company Tom fell for Summer the moment she turned up for her first day of work. They become friends and although Summer didn't believe in relationships or boyfriends they eventually get together. Through the ups and downs of their relationship Tom remains ever hopeful and hopelessly romantic believing that Summer is the one for him.
This is film is fantastic! I was so hoping that I could see this film before I left for overseas because it looked great from the previews and so I went into it expecting something different and it delivered. I also expected Zooey Deschanel to be totally and utterly gorgeous and she is, because I'm a bit of a fan of hers and she is once again wonderfully real and believable, putting in a superb performance. But so is Joseph Gordon-Levitt as he too is fantastic and their chemistry and relationship is totally believable which helps this film become more real and authentic. Both Deschanel and Gordon-Levitt bring their characters to life and inhabit them so well that you can identify with them and they feel like people you know. The rest of the cast are also great especially Moretz as Tom's little sister, Rachel who is his voice of reason. The reason the actors could get into their character's skin is because the script is based in real life and has no over the top hollywoodness to it and feels fresh and original. This realness for me came because I finally felt like someone had made a romantic movie that was aimed at boys and when I say romantic I mean exactly that. There have been a few romantic films lately that are more aimed at boys, but they tend to go more towards the comedy angle while (500) Days Of Summer for me was sweet, romantic and real. I must admit I love a good chick flick and a good romance is always nice, even if sometimes they do build up high expectations of romance but the lives, situations and romance in this flick are real and it is aimed squarely at boys. Some of the things that happened to Tom I could totally identify with and I appreciated a film being made for the romantic boy audience finally. And yes, we are out there ladies. This film is strong on all accounts as Marc Webb in the director's chair does a smashing job and the film looks really nice, especially with it's little animation snippets that introduce different times in the relationship. The editing is spot on and even though the timeline jumps around it is easy to follow and the film runs at a perfect length. The thing that I can't understand is that the writing team of Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber who really have done an outstanding job on this script were responsible for the travesty that was The Pink Panther 2! Let's hope they continue down the good path. The soundtrack to this film is awesome as well and it even has a cover of The Smiths, Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want by Zooey Deschanel's band She & HIm, who on a musical side note are lovely and their album is definitely worth checking out as well. I really love this film and will definitely go back for further viewings.
A 4.5 out of 5.

$9.99
Directed by Tatia Rosenthal, based on Etgar Keret's short stories and starring the voice of Joel Edgerton, Leon Ford, Samuel Johnson, Claudia Karvan, Jamie Katsamatsas, Anthony LaPaglia, Ben Mendelsohn, Barry Otto and Geoffrey Rush.
A group of people living in a Sydney apartment complex and an angel all in various stages of their lives consider the meaning of life and their place amongst it.
A well animated tale with an intriguing array of characters and interesting script that ultimately falls a little short because of the three things I just mentioned. The animation is great but its roughness becomes too much after a while, all the characters are interesting but you don't get enough of a chance to really know any any of them and the script is good but needed a bit more to give some depth, there is depth in the subject matter but I felt like I wanted a bit more. It is interesting though as all the characters are all completely different and there is a nice cohesion in their own individual take on what's happening in their own life and the apartment building they share.
A 3.5 out of 5.



My best for 2009:

I normally do the whole top five in no particular order thing but this film is pure genius and had to be my number one favourite, top of the heap, numero uno, best of the best. It is undoubtedly....
Up

Top five after that in no particular order:
Mary And Max
District 9
The Watchmen
Public Enemies
(500) Days Of Summer

Honourable mentions to:
Red Cliff
Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince
Tulpan

Best Australian:
Mary And Max
Samson And Delilah

Best documentary:
RiP: A Remix Manifesto

Worst film without any doubt seeing as it has been the worst I have seen since starting with Film Central and may well be the worst film I have ever seen in my whole entire life is:
Observe and Report



The new and fresh reviews for films starting off 2010, well for me.

Nine
Directed by Rob Marshall and starring Daniel-Day Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench, Fergie, Kate Hudson, NIcole Kidman and Sophia Loren.
Guido Contini is due to start shooting his ninth film but he has one problem, he's written no script and he's suffering from writer's block. Whilst in the middle of this he is having trouble balancing time for all the women in his life including his muse, his mistress and his wife.
Rightio so this was my first film back for Film Central after a bit of a break and boy what a bugger of a start. I know if a movie is getting to me when I get fidgety and after about an hour I was wriggling around in my seat like a five year old. This film has no substance behind all the style and even though Rob Marshall bought Chicago to the screen with a lot of success, Nine does not follow suit. If I'm watching a film based on a broadway musical then I want to see a film and not a broadway musical and this is where Nine is let done considerably as Marshall does not make this transition and the film does not look particularly filmic. Speaking of looking he has put together a fine looking cast but they just don't gel and the film flops from one musical piece to the next. Apparently everyone in the world loves Penelope Cruz and although she doesn't do it for me her little song and dance number is damn sexy, and as Carla the mistress of Contini she is quite good. Kidman is alright in her brief appearance as Claudia, Dench is great but she always is, Hudson is good as Stephanie and puts in an unexpectedly good singing and dance performance. Fergie as Saraghina can sing obviously but I don't know why they made her make up so hideous, because she looks like a man dressed up as a woman. Sophia Loren's appearance is typical Loren and reminiscent of her performances from the sixties but Cotillard as Luisa the wife is by far the standout of this film, she is elegant, beautiful, troubled and strong. Daniel Day-Lewis as Guido provides the anchor to the film and helps the movie stay together as he links the scenes together, his singing is fantastic and matches his already proven acting skills. But the film falls flat and has no cohesion not to mention the obvious references to Fellini and Italian films of the sixties just don't work, if you're unaware of them then the film would make less sense and if you are familiar especially with Fellini's 8 1/2 then you're left wondering why bother. Instead of watching this you are better of watching an Italian film from the sixties plus as a musical this doesn't really get you singing along which for me is one of the best bits about them.
A 1.5 out of 5.

In The Loop
Directed by Armando Iannucci and starring Peter Capaldi, Tom Hollander, Gina McKee, James Gandolfini, Chris Addison and Anna Chlumsky
The US President and UK Prime Minister fancy a war but not not everyone agrees with them. When British Secretary of State for International Development, Simon Foster accidentally backs military action he suddenly finds himself with a lot of friends in Washington and one very angry spin doctor for the Prime Minister, Malcolm Tucker.
I went into this film knowing nothing except the day before I read on the poster that it was one of the funniest British films in years and was definitely very true. This film is hilarious and you're laughing consistently throughout the movie for all sorts of reasons most of all the brilliant, inventive and frequent swearing that comes from Capaldi as Malcolm Tucker, he is just amazing and intense and every minute he has on screen is fantastic. Hollander as the clueless Foster and Addison as the brand new employee in the deep end Wright provide are both great providing the perfect fodder for Tucker and balance to Capaldi's manic Scotsman. The whole cast are spot on with everyone slotting into their role but also within the ensemble, Gandolfini is great as the army general, McKee is excellent and it's great to see Anna Chlumsky on the big screen again as she was really good as Liza Weld. There are also a lot of extra characters that pop up who also add to the film, in particular is Steve Coogan as one very annoyed constituent whose very worried about a wall. Director Iannucci has come from a television background and this shows but the frenetic pace of the script and handheld camera work well together as you feel like you are right in the mix. The script is wonderfully tight and funny and even though it keeps you perfectly informed of everything going on it also does a good job of confusing you as well.
A 4 out of 5.

3D Toy Story 1 & Toy Story 2
Directed by John Lasseter and Lasseter and Ash Brannon and starring the voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles, Jim Varney, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Annie Potts and Joan Cusack and Kelsey Grammer.
In Toy Story 1 when new toy Buzz Lightyear is given to young boy Andy it causes a stir amongst the other toys in his life especially with his favourite Woody. Toy Story 2 sees Woody kidnapped by a toy collector so his friends set out to save him.
Toy Story is the film that bought Pixar to the world big time and changed the face of animated films to what they are today and since then they have continued to provide nothing but quality films. Pixar's secret is making kid's film for everyone and treating kid's with intelligence which is rarely done in kid's film hence their rise to popularity, plus they stand up to repeating viewings as well for both the kids and more importantly the adults. But just about everyone is familiar with these films and these 3D rereleases are a perfect way to get reacquainted with Toy Story before the impending release of the third installment. These two movies are the usual Pixar fare of brilliant animation combined with fantastic, intelligent script and a great voice cast. Seeing these films at the cinema does give a little bonus during the ten minute intermission between the films, with first a little nod to the days of old and then some fun extra treats and quiz questions. But, the question here is does the 3D add anything to the original and the answer is yes. It's not a massive difference but as with their last film Up, Pixar's use of 3D is subtle, giving the film an extra depth and layer to it rather than relying on it as a novelty. It had been a wile since I had seen these two films and I've always said that this is one of the rare cases where the sequel is better than the original and I still stand by that and I now have high expectations and hopes that Toy Story 3 will be even better!
A 4 out of 5 for the first and 4.5 out of 5 for the second.

The Road
Directed by John Hillcoat, based on Cormac McCarthy's book and starring VIggo Mortensen, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Robert Duvall and Charlize Theron.
A man and his son walk alone through a ravaged post apocalypse country. The world is grey and dying as they try to stay alive avoiding cannibalistic gangs along the way as they head towards the south.
Where do you start with this? The Road is another Cormac McCarthy adaptation and after the Coen boys brilliant No Country For Old Men there was a lot of pressure on Australian director Hillcoat and he's done bloody well. This film is a superb bleak, realistic and different version of a post apocalyptic world. Hillcoat's direction is spot on and this film looks and sounds magnificent and reminded me of his use of sound in The Proposition which still for me is one of the best starts to a film, the intense sound and claustrophobic nature of that shed was stunning and he takes this style in to The Road. The sound design is large, intense and all encompassing taking the viewer deep into the experience of the characters of the film and this is a tool that is so underused in cinema. I'm not saying that sound design is terrible in the world of cinema but this intense use of sound, noise and silence is rare and Hillcoat has done an awesome job on it. The fantastic score by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis who he worked with on The Proposition adds superbly to the sound design and these two elements work hand in hand with the visual which is stunning thanks to Hillcoat's direction and the wonderfully dark and grey cinematography by Javier Aguirresarobe. There is obviously some cgi within this film but it is seamless and does not detract from the feel of the film at all. The performances from every member of the cast is faultless, Theron is brief yet powerful, Mortensen is brilliant and Smit-McPhee is the perfect complement to Mortensen as he holds his own and does a great job. This film looks and sounds great whilst being gut wrenching, scary and makes you think all at the same time. It's hardcore going and definitely worth checking out.
A 4.5 out of 5.

LAW ABIDING CITIZEN
A revenge thriller written by Kurt Wimmer (Street Kings, The Recruit, Equilibrium) and directed by F. Gary Gray (Be Cool, The Italian Job, The Negotiator)
Clyde Shelton (Gerard Butler) has nurtured his frustration for a decade after a plea bargain had set one of his family’s killers free after only three years in prison; now he decides to take justice into his own hands. He targets not only the killer Darby (Christian Stolte) but also Philadelphia district attorney, Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx) and others involved to balance the scales of justice. And even after he’s imprisoned, the mayhem continues, infuriating the Mayor (Viola Davis) so Rice tries to solve the mystery of how he is managing to engineer murders from inside solitary confinement.
This is a vicious yet ludicrous at the same time revenge thriller. It’s really quite preposterous by the end, but at times it is tense, with some full-on death scenes overtly telegraphed before they happen. It is pacey and snappily edited, and most of the cast attempt to perform like they think they are in a decent drama, instead of a b-grade thriller which occasionally manages to elevate the material. At the heart of revenge thrillers there is often a disturbing nastiness, and this is particularly true of this film. Initially you emphasise with Clyde, even if you wonder why on earth the killers left him alive to identify them, and as he has experienced a terrible trauma you understand elements of his motivation, but the gory viciousness and randomness of his targets for slaughter soon heads off the rails. Also, the initial deal with the murderer, Darby struck me as unconvincing – surely given Clyde’s witness account they would have approached the other murderer to give him the chance to make a deal? Gerard Butler occasionally veers towards hamminess, which is frankly inevitable given the ridiculousness of his character, who turns out to be a technological genius and covert spy (this is in the trailer so not a spoiler)! Jamie Foxx has to give an anchoring performance, but it is difficult because his character is not that likeable – he is smug and pretty ordinary as a husband and father, but it did remind me of why I liked him so much as an actor after Collateral, where he is under threat from another intelligent psychopath. Leslie Bibb does a good job in support as an assistant to Foxx's character, making you care about her character’s fate. It’s best not to overthink this film and just go along for the ride, even if at its core there are some angrily insightful things to say about the judicial system and the deals lawyers have to make. It’s a hard film to recommend because of its unbelievable plot and nastiness which at times veers dangerously close to torture ----, but it is watchable, if you like this kind of thing.
TWO STARS

THE ROAD
A post-apocalyptic dramatic thriller written by Joe Penhall (Enduring Love) based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Cormac McCarthy (No Country for Old Men) and directed by John Hillcoat (The Proposition, Ghosts of the Civil Dead)
This extremely bleak story follows the hazardous and arduous journey undertaken by a nomadic father and his young son. Both man (Viggo Mortensen) and boy (Kodi Smit- McPhee) find themselves trawling the scorched, barren surface of their ravaged home planet in search of food and shelter. Not only has all of Earth’s fauna and flora been obliterated by an unknown cataclysm but the majority of surviving earthlings have now transformed into rabid cannibalistic warriors.
A bleak yet poetically beautiful vision of a post-apocalyptic future, where humans are back to their primitive basics of survival at all costs. The visual landscape is so grey and desolate, yet very convincing and quite beautiful in its own way – almost entirely devoid of colour – the production design is stunning, with any CGI used effectively and seamlessly, and lovely cinematography by Javier Aguirresarobe (The Others, The Sea Inside). The soundtrack by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, like in Hillcoat’s The Proposition, perfectly complements the narrative. The grim nature of the film is anchored by the warmth of the relationship between The Man and his Son, with Mortensen and Smit-McPhee both frighteningly convincing in their desperation, and possessing a great chemistry together. Smit-McPhee is a phenomenally gifted child actor, and the subject matter in this film is so tough, it must have affected him deeply. All the supporting cast are excellent, conveying a lot in a short amount of screen time, but Robert Duvall is particularly moving as The Old Man – ‘It’s foolish to ask for luxuries at times like these,’ he replies when the father asks him if he ever wished he were dead, in what is one of the film's most eloquent scenes. I felt the flashbacks to the time before with his wife played by Charlize Theron were beneficial in filling out the character of the Man but also provided dramatic contrast which stops the film from being relentlessly draining and breaks up the slow pacing as really, not a lot happens. By using the father’s infrequent narration, Hillcoat aims to capture some of the voice of the novel, and this does work, and gives insight into what he is feeling. The focus on the father’s desire to protect his son and teach him to survive above all else anchors the story, but the son shows us that mercy and decency must be maintained to stay human. I felt tense throughout most of the film like the characters, who can never really relax and I liked its focus on what happens to people after their world is lost, things become increasingly desperate, and the sense of morality that we think humans carry is tested, rather than looking at what ecological disaster caused it. The ending bothered me, but apparently is relatively close to the book – it’s all a little bit too convenient, and while it provides a small amount of hope for the future of mankind, it didn’t entirely fit for me thematically, especially the one aspect of it which I won't give away but just seems soft. It’s sad and it’s moving, but it is also frightening in its depiction of how hard it might be to retain morality and nobility in a primal, lawless future – it is intentionally quite devastating in its approach to humanity, and while it is not an 'enjoyable' viewing experience as such, it really is an excellent film.
FOUR STARS

EDGE OF DARKNESS
A revenge thriller written by William Monahan (Body of Lies, The Departed) and Andrew Bovell (Blessed, Lantana) based on the 1985 multi-award-winning British TV miniseries written by Troy Kennedy-Martin and directed by Martin Campbell (Casino Royale, The Mask of Zorro, GoldenEye)
Just as Boston homicide detective Thomas Craven (Mel Gibson) welcomes the return home of his daughter, trainee nuclear engineer, Emma (Bojana Novakovic), she is shot dead in his arms on their doorstep by mysterious gunmen. Craven sets out to find her assassins but in the process he stumbles into a web of intrigue that reveals her secret life amidst a high powered conspiracy and cover up. The event triggers a chain reaction that attracts the attention of the mysterious Jedburgh (Ray Winstone) whose speciality is cleaning up security problems at a high level. Craven’s search for answers leads him to Jack Bennett (Danny Huston), the head of a secretive manufacturing company with a Government weapons contract that is not all it appears.
A strong return to acting by Mel Gibson doesn’t quite carry this thriller to the level it aspires to, but it does succeed in creating an old-fashioned style of dramatic tension. I think the plot may have worked better as a six-hour miniseries in its original format – it is a bit convoluted and some characters could have benefitted from more development. The story is a bit hard to follow which allows your attention to waver and I did lose interest at times, which is unfortunate because it is quite complex so you need to pay attention. I particularly would have liked to know more about Winstone’s mysterious character Jedburgh, who is very enigmatic and you want to spend more time with him, especially because Winstone plays him so well. Danny Huston again plays a slimy villain expertly. I liked the emotional weight of the relationship between Craven and his daughter, and Bojana Novakovic is great in her limited scenes; even if the flashbacks are somewhat contrived in their sentimentality, they are definitely moving, although Emma talking to him from beyond the grave doesn’t come off so well. It is slickly directed by Campbell with a couple of decent action scenes which don’t stretch credibility apart from an occasional dodgy lapse in the editing of the stunt people when it is clearly not Gibson fighting, and infrequent jarring bursts of violence. There are occasional flashes of humour but it’s pretty straight in its approach throughout. Its complex plotting does pull together really well, and there’s no easy way out for any of the parties involved which leads to a convincing ending, which makes it seem like a slightly better film than it is. Craven is a believable and empathetic character, and Gibson totally convinces as the unhinged and intensely grieving father. He is even shot in a way that he looks short which is even more realistic! I really liked seeing Mel on screen again; he has a particular sort of damaged charisma that suits a character seeking vengeance well – these are roles that have been very successful for him in the past (see Lethal Weapon, Braveheart, Payback). Unlike last week’s dubious Law Abiding Citizen, you empathise with Craven and his actions for the duration of the film, and deaths are not treated lightly. It's not a bad film overall, but it could have been more impressive if it had perhaps gone even darker in tone.
THREE STARS

DAYBREAKERS
An Australian vampire thriller written and directed by twin brothers Michael and Peter Spierig (Undead)
An unknown plague has transformed the majority of the world’s population into vampires. As the human population nears extinction, vampires must capture and farm every remaining human before time runs out. Businessman Charles Bromley (Sam Neill) is busy making and selling farmed human blood, with the help of his top hematologist Edward (Ethan Hawke); but when Edward literally runs into Audrey (Claudia Karvan) and her small band of humans he finds they might have a secret that has the power to save the human race.
This is a really fun, visually stylish and inventive genre film. The Spierig brothers do a great job of stretching a limited budget, with most of the effects being used very effectively, and the quality of them is surprisingly good. The future world of 2019 is well designed and looks great, with George Liddle’s stylish production design and Ben Nott’s cinematography, while Christopher Gordon’s score adds to the tension. Most of the vampire genre conventions are addressed and intelligently played out. The actual premise of the story is a good, original one – and it is fun to ponder what would happen if vampires were the majority and the blood supply provided by humans was in danger of running out. There are some decent shocks and surprises in the narrative, and also an exciting and tense car chase. Towards the end there is an abundance of gore – it’s actually quite disgusting at times, so fans of soft vampire films like Twilight could be in for a shock! Ethan Hawke’s character is a slightly bland hero, and Willem Dafoe’s Elivs is a bit caricatured, but they both give good performances, and Sam Neill is excellent as the creepy vampire businessman, while Claudia Karvan provides the film with its much-needed humanity and warmth – it is surprising she has apparently chosen not to star in more movies because the big screen really heightens her appeal. It is great to see such a strong genre film being made by Australians, in Australia. There’s almost no humour in the script and it is quite serious in its approach, but it is still very enjoyable. It’s a huge improvement on Undead for the Spierig brothers, which while entertaining, lost its way a bit, and they show they have real talent as filmmakers with Daybreakers.
THREE AND A HALF STARS

SHUTTER ISLAND
A psychological mystery thriller based on the 2003 novel by Dennis Lehane (Mystic River, Gone, Baby, Gone) written by Laeta Kalogridis (Alexander) and directed by Martin Scorsese (The Departed, The Aviator, Gangs of New York)
Two U.S. marshals, Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo), are summoned to a remote and barren island in Boston Harbour to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a murderess from the island’s fortress-like hospital for the criminally insane, run by Dr John Cawly (Ben Kingsley ) and Dr Jeremiah Naehring (Max von Sydow). As the investigation continues, Daniels starts suffering from contradictory flashbacks and drug-induced hallucinations, and begins to fear he is trapped on the island.
I had very high expectations for this film, and Scorsese doesn’t quite deliver the masterful mind-bending thriller I was hoping for. Having read and loved the book, it really taints the way you experience the narrative because one of the best things about the story is the sense of confusion and panic experienced by the lead character. The production design is excellent and the whole film has a nightmarish quality. At first I was astounded by the obviously fake studio shots in the motion scenes but soon realised Scorsese has intentionally directed the film with elements that are a homage to the 50s thrillers like Vertigo. Scorsese as usual gets great performances from most of the cast, including Patricia Clarkson, Michelle Williams, Jackie Earle Haley and Emily Mortimer, all in small but pivotal roles. DiCaprio is getting better and better at playing damaged and aged characters, and he is very convincing as a man on the edge, especially towards the end of the film. It is most similar in style to Scorsese’s remake of Cape Fear, and has that same slightly over-the-top feel associated with this genre. The ending is not handled as well as it could be – it is actually quite clunky, with some things that were quite subtle in the book hammered home in an unsatsifying way. Scorsese also adds an ambiguous extra line to the film which didn't really work for me. The artistic feel of the film, while at times beautifully done, actually reduces how disturbing some of the traumatic reveals are, although the scenes involving the Nazi holocaust are well-handled. It’s an admirable attempt at adapting a really complex book, but it is not nearly as powerful as Gone, Baby, Gone or Mystic River in terms of Lehane adaptations. I think it would work best for viewers who haven't read the book.
THREE AND A HALF STARS

CRAZY HEART
A romantic drama centred on a fading country music singer written and directed by Scott Cooper (a character actor making his directorial debut) based on the novel by Thomas Cobb
Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges) is a broken-down, hard-living country music singer with too many failed marriages, too long on the road and too reliant on whisky. Now on the road for a month with pick up bands reduced to playing venues like bowling alleys, Bad meets Jean (Maggie Gyllenhall), a journalist and single mother who sees the real man behind the name. But the road to redemption is filled with pot-holes, especially when he is offered a gig as opening act for his former protégé Tommy Sweet (Colin Farrell) who has gone on to bigger and better things.
A really lovely small film, where a lot of care has been taken to make a convincing and moving character study based around country music. Jeff Bridges is so good – Bad just totally seems like a real person; and Bridges allows himself to be completely candid on screen, dishevelled with paunch, vomit and all. I just loved the film’s hopefulness and its portrayal of the way an unexpected relationship can change your life. Even with the age difference, you believe in the love between Bad and Jean, with Gyllenhaal again giving a warm and real performance, successfully conveying a damaged woman being drawn to a romantically dangerous man. Robert Duvall in a small role has fantastic chemistry with Bridges in their scenes together, and Colin Farrell also does well in a difficult part for the Irishman – playing a Texan country singer, but is curiously uncredited, even though he almost convinces as a country singing icon – his singing is not bad! The music scenes are really well done and the soundtrack is fantastic, especially the standout tracks The Weary Kind and Fallin’ feels like Flyin’. Some of the cinematography by Barry Markowitz is gorgeous too, especially in the driving scenes. The film kind of feels like a really good country song, it takes its time and has heartbreak and despair at its core, but ultimately succeeds because of its sweet melody. It doesn’t have any cheesiness about the character’s journey to redemption, and it doesn’t go easy on Bad and his flaws. It reminds me thematically of The Wrestler and to a lesser extent, Leaving Las Vegas, but it goes a different path which is less grim, yet still serves as a study of loss. It is also an honest portrayal of the damage caused by alcoholism without being preachy. I’m glad it’s getting recognition for its performances; it’s well-deserved and I really enjoyed it.
FOUR AND A HALF STARS

THE HURT LOCKER
An action drama set in Iraq written by Mark Boal (In the Valley of Elah – story) and directed by Kathyrn Bigelow (K-19: The Widowmaker, The Weight of Water, Strange Days, Point Break, Near Dark)
When Sergeant William James (Jeremy Renner) takes over an elite, highly trained team of bomb disposal specialists in the middle of a violent conflict in Iraq, his two subordinates, Sergeant J.T. Sanborn (Anthony Mackie) and Specialist Owen Eldridge (Brian Geraghty) find they have more than the enemy to contend with. James appears to be indifferent to death and refuses to follow the rules.
I loved the film’s authenticity and its straightforward approach to placing the viewer immediately in the thick of what it is like to be in a war situation and under threat of losing your life on a day-to-day basis. Apart from a couple of pretentious slow motion moments which seem out of place with the documentary feel of the rest of the film, the direction is excellent. Screenwriter Mark Boal has crafted his story based on his own observations while assigned to a special bomb unit and this adds a great deal to the realism. It was a shame that some really strong actors only had very limited screen time – Guy Pearce, David Morse and Ralph Fiennes all convince in their roles, but Bigelow gets exceptional performances from a relatively unknown lead cast, and it was a smart casting decision to not have recognition of the actors detract from the tension of the film. Jeremy Renner is getting most of the attention for bringing to life a complex and reckless character, but Mackie and Geraghty also completely inhabit their roles and are served well by having more obvious emotional depth to their characters. The enemy is portrayed as relatively faceless but in many ways this is a logical position and this is far from a US propaganda piece and it is quite non-judgmental in its approach. Some of the scenes are very tense and the opening is particularly effective at establishing the stress of the life a bomb technician. The handheld camera works effectively in this sort of film and adds to the tension; and the score also matches the narrative well. It’s sort of the opposite of Bigelow’s ex-husband James Cameron's film Avatar, being a low budget authentic character study that revolves around action; although in some ways their stories are both about Iraq; it is interesting he is apparently the one who convinced her to do it. I liked that no easy justifications were played out in terms of character motivation, especially with Sergeant James; he is seemingly attracted to the adrenaline of facing near-death but he has other sides to him, including a more humane, compassionate streak. With all the hype around it, I was expecting it to be slightly more edge-of-the-seat exciting than it was, but it didn’t feel long, even with its 131-minute running time.
FOUR STARS

Valentine's Day
Directed by Garry Marshall and starring Jessica Biel, Bradley Cooper, Eric Dane, Patrick Dempsey, Jennifer Garner, Topher Grace, Anne Hathaway, Taylor Swift, Julia Roberts and a bunch load more.
In the city of Los Angeles the lives and stories of some couples and singles intertwine amongst the expectations of Valentine's Day with varying outcomes.
This flick with it's excellent release timing is another from romantic film maestro Garry Marshall who bought us Pretty Woman, the Gere/Roberts reunion Runaway Bride and The Princess Diaries movies. So what was he trying to do with this star studded flick that some people have been comparing to Love Actually? I'm not sure and the comparison to that wonderful British film is not founded as it is nowhere near as entertaining. Valentine's Day gets stuck in his attempt to do a Robert Altman and make these people's life's intertwine, but fails because there are too many characters. We don't really get the chance to know them with the exception of a couple but only just and therefore the film feels thin and although some of them are interesting and you want to know more, we don't get to identify with them enough. The performances though are good but ultimately they're not given enough screen time to really get their character out there. The best in the massive star studded cast are Jessica Biel as the over worked Valentine Day hater, Bradley Cooper as the man who gives away nothing, Jennifer Garner is awesome as is Anne Hathaway and of course Julia Roberts who's smile always lights up the world and she inhabits her character as always. The rest of the cast are alright except Patrick Dempsey who is just doing the same McDreamy thing he did in Made Of Honour, George Lopez continues his irritating acting from the small screeen, Ashton Kutcher does nothing and why the hell would his character wear that horrible shade of pink beats me and the youngest member of the cast Bryce Robinson is overdone cute and not convincing till his very last line. All in all this film gets lost in itself, confused and goes for far too long, it needed less characters to get some coherence. Some of the plot developments didn't sit right for me but it also put in a couple of nice twists. I love a romantic film, more than some girls sometimes I think, but this film doesn't push any buttons really.
A 2 out of 5.

From Paris With Love
Directed by Pierre Morel and starring John Travolta, Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Kasia Smutniak.
James Reece is a personal aide to the U.S. Ambassador in France as well as being low-level operative for the C.I.A. which he wants to turn into being an fully fledged agent. When he is asked to meet special agent Charlie Wax at the airport all his dreams come true as he becomes involved in a mission to stop a terrorist attack.
So whenever I see the name Luc Besson attached to a project I hold some hope, even though his run has been a bit up and down lately, you can't argue the genius of his early films. But this film is only based on his story and he also sits in the producer's chair. Director Morel bought us Taken last year and even though his director's CV is quite small he has scored the job to bring the next version of Dune to the big screen. So could he up that task? He does a pretty good job with From Paris With Love, it's nothing amazing but it does look pretty good and the action sequences are pretty flashy although sometimes to flashy as he tries to make Travolta's fighting look believable. Travolta though is actually alright in this and although his character has no redeeming qualities which you need as an audience member to somehow identify with him but I really liked that I couldn't and at the end of the film I still felt indifferent towards him. Some could say that his character and this film is almost a little racist but I appreciated the honesty of that character as that's what I could expect from that sort of person in that line of business and for once a film is trying to be more real rather than hiding behind the politically correct curtain. But as I said before Travolta is just alright in this film as sometimes he just was a little unconvincing but luckily for him and the film Rhys Meyers as the clueless wannabe agent is good and actually gets a little bit better as the film goes on and Kasia Smutniak as his French girlfriend Caroline is also good. The let down to this film is the weak script, it just doesn't hold up to scrutiny and although it does throw up a couple of tongue in cheek over the top cheesy moments and surprise twists, it is to easy to dissect afterwards and doesn't scream out to be watched again. plus the whole carrying around a vase full of drugs for ten minutes just for some later plot development was just stupid. All in all this film is a bit of fun and is a nice, quick action packed ride, but it's more of a rent a movie later rather than cinema experience.
A 3 out of 5.

The Blind Side
Directed by John Lee Hancock, based on the book by Michael Lewis and starring Sandra Bullock, Quinton Aaron, Tim McGraw, Lily Collins, Jae Head and Kathy Bates.
Michael Oher grows up in housing projects in Memphis, Tennessee with his drug addicted mother until Family Services steps in and he then spends time in different foster homes but eventually as a teenager decides he'd rather be homeless. His story changes though when he is enrolled at a private Christian school, as the school coach is looking for someone his size to join the football team. One night when walking back to school to sleep in the gym he is found by Leigh Anne Tuohy and her husband who give him a bed for the night and then decide to take him in and help him.
For starter's this film is one of the ten nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars this year and for I've got no idea why, for two reasons why have ten and also why this one? As far as film goes this film does not rate as an excellent film, from the outset with it's poor shot choices and terrible font it doesn't look that great and that continues throughout the film. Not that director Hancock does a bad job, he actually has a decent crack at it but his composition looks like he is trying really hard to make this film look great but it just doesn't quite make it, it looks good but not amazing and because he has tried to it ends up standing out. To make matters worse at the end of the film he has a little memory sequence montage which handily revisits all the shots he believed he'd captured wonderfully but for me it just served as a reminder of what he didn't quite achieve. So all that sounds a little negative and it is, because I found this film nothing great to look at and the sound design is also pretty ordinary but the thing that makes this film stand up and be noticed is the story. If you weren't already aware this is based on real life and so therefore it's going to be interesting and touching and it does get inside you a little bit to see the nice side of people. But one thing that this film doesn't do and which you expect from these sorts of films is the tear factor and while it goes close to making you cry it doesn't which I kind of liked because it doesn't go down the obvious sappy and saccharine trail. The cast are all great as well, no-one lets down the team, Lily Collins and Jae Head as the Tuohy kids are both convincing especially Head as S.J. who is really great and has the infectious excited kid thing going on without becoming annoying. Bates a the tutor Miss Sue is fantastic and McGraw as Sean Tuohy hold is excellent. The best though and deserving of her Oscar nomination is Bullock as Leigh Anne Tuohy, she is spot on, thoroughly convincing and proves that she really is a great actress. That's not that saying she hasn't before as I'm a big fan of hers and I'll always say her comic timing, slapstick and ability to be silly is brilliant, but in The Blind Side she really gets the chance to soak into a character and show her serious side. Actually speaking of the Tuohy's they've all got be pretty chuffed with who played them in the movie that's for sure. Actually that's one thing that is interesting and I liked about this flick, that we're seeing a movie based on someone's life that just happened and not ten or twenty years ago, as Michael Oher was drafted into the NFL in 2009, although reports are he hasn't been totally happy with the way he was portrayed. The film does drag near the end and involving all the real life coaches who can't act didn't help. All in all this film is interesting and worth watching for the story and acting but it definitely isn't a masterpiece.
A 3.5 out of 5.

A SINGLE MAN
A drama written and directed by American fashion designer Tom Ford based on the book by Christopher Isherwood
George Falconer (Colin Firth), an English professor in 1960s California, attempts to settle his various affairs prior to killing himself – his suicidal intentions set into motion by the tragic death of his longtime younger lover, Jim (Matthew Goode). Death and the contemplation of life is all George can think about. His one-time lover and now close friend Charley (Julianne Moore) knows nothing of his plans and tries to rekindle their past flame. But it’s one of his students, Kenny (Nicholas Hoult) who takes a step towards mending George’s broken heart.
This is one of the most visually striking films I’ve seen in a long time, with almost every shot composed so beautifully it could be a still photograph from the early 60s. The 60s sets and the production design including costumes and hair, right down to minor details, are perfectly conceived; there is no doubt Tom Ford has an eye for detail and for the most part successfully makes his film cinematic. The problem with making a film so artfully is that is becomes somewhat self-conscious and distancing and I found it stopped me from engaging with the lead character’s journey as fully, because you ‘step back’ in a sense and admire what you are seeing. Having said that, some of the scenes between Colin Firth’s character George and Matthew Goode’s gorgeous Jim, and George and the dramatic yet appealing Charley played by Julianne Moore are very poignant, and Ford manages to capture a really genuine sense of intimacy. Goode and Firth share a very strong chemistry portraying a lost love between two men. Definitely deserving of his best actor Oscar nomination, Firth is excellent in the lead role, and like in the recent Genova, captures profound grief with subtle nuances. There is a real vibrancy to the film in the scenes featuring Julianne Moore, and they do provide contrast with the relatively slow pacing of the rest of the film. It’s an interesting idea following the last day in the life of someone who has decided to take their own life, and it mostly succeeds but does become a bit tedious near the end. I felt a bit annoyed by the ending, and also a little confused about the misjudged tone of the almost farcical scene where George prepares to shoot himself. There are some very witty moments in the script and it’s certainly not all bleak. It's well worth seeing for its beautiful composition alone, and the performances help to make it a strong debut for Ford.
THREE AND A HALF STARS

THE BLIND SIDE
A biographical drama about All American football player Michael Oher written and directed by John Lee Hancock (The Alamo, The Rookie) based on the book by Michael Lewis
Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron), a homeless, undereducated African-American youngster from a broken home in Memphis whose mother is a crack addict, is taken in by the Touhys, a well-to-do white Republican family of Leigh Anne Touhy (Sandra Bullock), her businessman husband Sean (Tim McGraw), their daughter Collins (Lily Collins) and young son S.J. (Jae Head). At first, Leigh Anne is simply helping a needy boy in the short term – but it soon becomes long term, as the introverted and gentle but physically imposing Michael discovers a talent for sport. Oher’s presence in the Touhy’s lives leads them to some insightful self-discoveries of their own. Living in his new environment, the teen faces a completely different set of challenges to overcome. As a football player and student, Oher works hard and, with the help of his coaches and adopted family, becomes a successful football player.
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would, sometimes it is just nice to see a story that restores a little bit of faith in humanity. The story would seem contrived if it weren’t for the fact that it is true. It walks a fine line between cheesiness and genuine emotion, but Sandra Bullock grounds the narrative by giving such a convincing performance as Leigh Anne. Leigh Anne is a strong-willed, non-sentimental and determined, if slightly naive, character, but Bullock gives her plenty of warmth and conveys a great deal with facial expressions and simple lines of dialogue like “all right then”, making her into a complex and caring woman with depth. She is not portrayed as a selfless Christian; she acknowledges that she benefits from the kindness the family gives Michael in one of the film’s most affecting scenes. The film is well-scripted, with Leigh Anne particularly having some witty and astute lines. I thought it painted a picture of upper class values quite succinctly, especially in Leigh Anne’s lunch scenes with her snooty female friends. I liked the depiction of family life; and the relationship that develops between exuberant SJ, perfectly played by Jae Head, and Michael is particularly sweet. The focus is not really on the rugby, and I didn’t find the sport scenes particularly exciting or dynamic. In fact the direction overall is merely functional and the film relies on its narrative and performances to carry it. It only skims the surface of Michael’s past life and what his life was like in the projects – the Hollywood style glosses over some of the gritty elements. Michael is portrayed as such a sad character, it’s a relief to see him gradually begin to smile and Quinton Aaron captures his fragility well. At times, especially after reading about the real Oher, who was less than pleased by the movie’s depiction of him as a passive, unskilled big guy who was only barely acquainted with football, the movie seems a bit condescending to the character, and it could have benefitted from being more subtle about his difficulties. It definitely emphasises sturdy Christian values, but it doesn’t ram its message home offensively, and I think compassion towards someone less fortunate is moving and valued no matter the religion. 
THREE AND A HALF STARS

DEAR JOHN
A romantic drama written by Jamie Linden (We Are Marshall) based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks (The Notebook, Nights in Rodanthe, Message in a Bottle) and directed by Swedish director Lasse Hallström (The Hoax, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Chocolat, The Cider House Rules)
Special Forces Army Sergeant John Tyree (Channing Tatum) is home with his reclusive coin collecting father (Richard Jenkins) on a two-week leave from Germany when he meets Savannah Curtis (Amanda Seyfried), a college student at the University of North Carolina who builds houses for charity, rides horses and aspires to teach autistic children. Savannah falls deeply in love with John and as she is about to go back to college, she promises to write to John during the next 12-months until he returns to her. But their love is put to the test when John volunteers to extend his term of duty with his entire team of soldiers in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attack on New York.
This is clearly not the successful romantic tearjerker it hopes to be if it can’t get me to cry. I just wasn’t convinced by the characterisation or connection between the two leads. There is no denying Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried look great together, and they are lovingly shot in warm light so they almost seem to glow, but Seyfried just has very little to work with to round out her annoyingly selfless and good character. Tatum surprised me by really carrying off a couple of emotional scenes, because his chiselled looks make him come across as pretty stiff as an actor most of the time. Henry Thomas and Richard Jenkins are really strong in supporting roles and add a lot to the film. I was actually more moved by the scenes between John and his father than the romantic scenes, which was worrying. The letter writing scenes work okay but are slightly dull, as are the war scenes but the selection of songs on the soundtrack is quite nice and complements the story. The ending is oddly abrupt, and doesn’t provide the emotional payoff this kind of romance requires. It is watchable and not too cringe-worthy, but it is not as moving as other Sparks’ adaptations revolving around a love affair from the wrong side of the tracks facing massive hurdles, especially The Notebook which I loved. It is functionally directed, without much flair at all, which is a major disappointment from a previously highly regarded director in Lasse Hallstrom who just seems to be going through the motions. It is interesting that this adaptation apparently has major changes from the novel, and it seems like some of the emotional resonance may have been lost in the process.
TWO AND A HALF STARS

THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS
A comedy written by Peter Straughan (How to Lose Friends & Alienate People) based on the book by Joe Ronson and directed by Grant Heslov (writer, Good Night, and Good Luck., producing partner of George Clooney)
Michigan journalist Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor) reporting in Iraq after his wife leaves him for his one-armed editor might just have the story of a lifetime when he meets Lyn Cassady (George Clooney), who claims to be a former member of the U.S. Army’s First Earth Battalion, a 1980s unit that employed paranormal powers in their missions; men whose abilities included (partial) invisibility, (potential) telekinesis and, most inexplicably, the power to kill goats with their mind. Now the program’s founder Bill Django (jeff Bridges) has gone missing and renegade psychic Larry Hooper (Kevin Spacey) is running a training camp for super soldiers of his own.
A disappointing, wayward comedy which largely wastes the talent involved. It starts off well, with some good laughs and witty scripting, but the narrative suffers from a serious lack of momentum. I got really tired of it about two thirds of the way through, as it seems like wacky scenes strung together instead of a film with a narrative flow – this may have a lot to do with the source material, as the book upon which the film is based is merely a collection of chapters describing the U.S. military’s paranormal experiments, as uncovered by journalist Jon Ronson and documentarian John Sergeant. Ewan McGregor’s character is poorly drawn even with his voiceover supposedly giving insight into his experience, although his performance is okay. All the references to Jedi warriors and Star Wars is too self-conscious with McGregor in the lead and only serves to distance you from the film. George Clooney is very adept at playing charismatic but idiotic characters straight, like in O Brother Where Art Thou and Burn After Reading for the Coen brothers, but even he isn’t enough to carry off the stupidity of this film. I did enjoy Stephen Lang’s brief scenes and he displays a surprising talent for comedy after his serious villain in Avatar. Kevin Spacey is also very convincing and has some fun comedically late in the film, and Jeff Bridges again shows his talent for black comedy. At least it's fairly original as a film idea but it relies too much on silliness and is not black or satirical enough. There are definitely some enjoyable funny moments, but its mixed tone is confusing and you just get bored by the eccentric narrative. The director just relies too much on what he thinks is an extremely witty script and a talented cast to show much directorial style or substance. Some of the gags are just too obvious – oh look its an 80s style George Clooney with dodgy hair dancing to Billy Idol. The central idea is interesting and has great comedic potential and apparently more of it is true than you would believe according to the opening titles, but this is just not executed well enough.
THREE STARS

Alice In Wonderland
Directed by Tim Burton and starring Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Crispin Glover, Anne Hathaway and Matt Lucas.
Nineteen year old Alice runs away from her engagement party only to fall down the same rabbit hole she fell down as a kid. There she is reunited with old friends and finds out that they have been waiting for her to return to carry out her destiny and that is to end the Red Queen's reign.
Tim Burton and Johnny Depp at it again! And add to that mix Helena Bonham Carter now and you've got a well known combination, not to mention composer Danny Elfman who is collaborating with Burton again for the twelfth time. So it's Mr. Burton and his regular muses and do they again deliver on the magic that we expect? Well I can sum it up in two words, yes and no. On one hand I really loved this film and on the other I didn't dig it, so it was kind of frustrating. The whole cast are fantastic, Depp is as he always is, is brilliant and really gives the mad hatter the appropriate amount of crazy but with a nice side of normal as well and accessibility. Bonham Carter is great and provides many laughs as does her opposite Anne Hathaway as the White Queen who might actually be the best amongst the lot as she has some great moments, she holds her hands in wonderfully awkward poses and has some hilarious and fantastic little reactions. Matt Lucas is good as Tweedledum and Tweedledee and Crispin Glover is of course great at being creepy. The whole voice cast are all great and add to the overall film and the March Hare is wonderfully mad and hilarious and lovable all at once. Mia Wasikowska is good as Alice, she's initially distant, but who wouldn't be in that place and then slowly warms with you as she goes on her voyage. Plus she gets to wear some amazing frocks in this film, the costume design is simply marvellous. The use of 3D in this film is possibly the best I've seen yet, mainly because it is used so well as a filmic tool here and not as a clever trick, it doesn't have you ducking for cover but does immerse you. Saying that though I think the special effects is where the Tim Burtonness gets lost a little as so much of it looks like one of his films but then the rest of it doesn't. That doesn't mean I expect him to do the same thing every time but I think he just hasn't made this film look as good as he know he can and has done previously. Also one other negative is the story is just a bit weak and this movie feels a bit like it's more style than substance and even though I laughed my guts all the way through this movie I still felt a little empty when I left.
A 3.5 out of 5.

My One And Only
Directed by Richard Loncraine and starring Renee Zellweger, Logan Lerman, Mark Rendall, Kevin Bacon, Troy Garity, David Koechner and Nick Stahl.
Anne Devereaux has had enough of her philandering band leader husband Dan so she packs up her sons George and Robbie and hits the road in search of a new wealthy man to look after them. As they go from city to city Anne discovers that finding a new husband isn't as easy as she thought and her and her sons discover more about themselves.
I had no idea what to expect with this movie except that it was based on George Hamilton's life and that it was a comedy, but I'm quite fond of Renee Zellweger and the fifties style so I went in with some hope. And it delivers a great little film that's part road movie, part family drama and part life story. The story is engaging and provides some great insights into not only George Hamilton's life but his also his mother's and the events that shaped his life. It is also funny in many places and the whole cast work really well Lerman as George is fantastic, Rendall as his brother Robbie is also great and Zellweger although she's done this sort of thing before is still great and looks beautiful in that fifties styling. Speaking of styling the movie looks great and if you're a fan of that era then this is worth having a look at. The rest of the cast are also good, each of Anne's potential suitors brings something to their role and really gives the film some added depth. You get to know each character enough to identify with them while still getting deeper in with the Devereaux family. All in all I really enjoyed this film, it's a great little road trip with a few laughs and dramas along the way.
A 3 out of 5.

The Bounty Hunter
Directed by Andy Tennant and starring Jennifer Aniston, Gerard Butler, Gio Perez, Joel Garland, Matt Malloy and Christine Baranski.
When bounty hunter Milo Boyd discovers his next target is his ex-wife Nicole he delights in the chance to put behind bars. When he gets her though he discovers he is in for more than he expected as they head into her report on a murder cover up that takes them on a journey they weren't expecting.
The Bounty Hunter is billed as a romantic comedy so I'm going to spoil it straight away for you and say that there is no romance and definitely no comedy. The chemistry between Butler and Aniston is non-existent and therefore most of the magic is gone there, but to make matters worse you don't really like either of them that much as their characters are quite thin. Then comes the attempt at comedy which is the same as the chemistry between the two leads. The story is pretty sparse, the direction from Tennant is run of the mill and the sound design and mixing is some of the worst I've ever heard. Aniston and Butler are both alright in this but as their star power is the focus of the film then it doesn't bode well. The supporting cast are regular characters that we've seen before although Siobhan Fallon Hogan as Teresa is the standout. All in all The Bounty Hunter is fairly ordinary ride and if anything it's a last pick at the dvd rental place in a couple of months.
A 2 out of 5.

The Rebound
Directed by Bart Freundlich and starring Catherine Zeta Jones and Justin Bartha.
Sandy leaves her husband and takes her kids to live in New York determined to make a new life for herself. She finds a job and a flat above a coffee shop where she meets Aram who she employs as her nanny but things change when they develop feelings for each other.
This film doesn't deserve to much of my time being spent on this review.  So that kind of tells where this review is going to go.  The Rebound is rubbish and I knew from the start, the title sequence was hideous and it doesn't take off from there.  It is slow, boring, poorly written and directed and the characters aren't terribly engaging.  The cast are reasonable but then again they really didn't have much to work with.  Zeta Jones is nothing amazing and Bartha as Aram is a sad sack at the start and you don't ever really like him.  Even as the film progresses and eventually becomes a little more interesting, Aram's journey should be exciting but somehow it isn't as is Sandy's.  The inevitable and obvious ending is of course annoyingly obvious with a twist that is just as annoying and it would have been so much more interesting to have a real life ending but that just doesn't happen in the movies.  The isn't much chemistry especially as this is meant to be a romance and even as a film it's barely entertaining.
A 1 out of 5.

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO
A Swedish crime thriller based on Stieg Larsson’s bestselling novel, the first in the Millennium trilogy, written by Nikolaj Arcel and Rasmus Heisterberg (The Chosen 7, Journey to Saturn) and directed by Danish director Niels Arden Oplev (Worlds Apart, Unit One)
The disgraced investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) agrees to investigate the 40-year-old case of a missing teenage girl. The girl’s uncle, Henrik Vanger (Sven-Bertil Taube) who approaches Mikael to take the case, is the former CEO of a wealthy group of companies and head of a large dysfunctional family, all of who are under suspicion. Mikael is assisted by the mysterious Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace), a young women with a punk attitude, expertise in cyber-espionage and problems of her own.
A thrilling, at times unflinchingly violent film which holds your attention throughout even with its long running time (152 minutes) and subtitles and remains unsettling long after viewing because of its misogynistic and racist themes. The translation of the Swedish title is actually ‘Men Who Hate Women’, which is telling. The lead characters are extremely vividly created in what seems to be a very respectful adaptation of the source novel. It is beautifully shot and effectively builds tension without using cheap or cheesy shocks. Danish director Oplev manages to make even the research and computer scenes relatively interesting, which is impressive. The central mystery itself is complex and engaging and has a tense and even moving resolution. It has grim subject matter which twists and turns in unexpected directions. There are some very sadistic people in the film, and I must say, I struggled with the graphic violence towards women in a couple of scenes, which for me having not read the book, were unexpected and shocking. Lisbeth is a fascinating character – so brittle and damaged, yet believable, imperfect and complex with her own motivation and initiative, despite her deliberate avoidance of any semblance of charm or social graces, she is appealing and you want the best for her; Noomi Rapace is just exceptional in the role, which is very well-written. In some respects the film probably gives a stronger representation of Lisbeth’s damaged psyche than the book could through the brutality depicted – it’s harrowing stuff, especially if you are not prepared for it. I also liked the less dramatic Mikael character a lot, and you can understand why Lisbeth is drawn to helping him because of his integrity, charm and respect for others, although I didn’t think they had a strong sexual chemistry, which would have added to the film. It’s easily one of the best and most gripping thrillers I’ve seen in a long time, and also works well as a character study. I'm not sure a Hollywood remake will work anywhere near as well as this Swedish-shot one, even if it is directed by David Fincher, and seems unnecessary given how good this film is.
FOUR STARS

MICMACS
A French crime comedy written by Guillaume Laurant (Amélie, The City of Lost Children) and Jean-Pierre Jeunet and directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet – his first in five years (A Very Long Engagement, Amélie, Delicatessen)
While witnessing a gun battle, videostore clerk Bazil (Dany Boon) is hit in the head by a stray bullet. He survives, but is left homeless and jobless. He is taken in by a quirky family of scrapyard-dwelling misfits , including Slammer (Jean-Pierre Marielle), who was only nicked by a guillotine that got stuck, leading to his pardon; Mama Chow (Yolande Moreau), who cooks for the group; Elastic Girl (Julie Ferrier), who can twist like a pretzel and becomes useful in hiding in boxes sneaked into quarters; Remington (Omar Sy), who types out lists; Buster (Dominique Pinon), whose ambition is to be published in the Guinness Book; Tiny Pete (Michel Cremades), who sculpts from salvages materials; and Calculator (Marie-Julie Baup), who has an eye for measurements behind her large, black eyeglasses. Bazil convinces the adoptive family to gain revenge against a couple of weapons dealers, Nicolas Thibault De Fenouillet (Andre Dussollier) and Francois Marconi (Nicolas Marie), whom he considers responsible for injuries to himself, his dad who was killed by a landmine some years previously, and to countless men, women and children who would not be dead if warring parties had nothing to kill them with.
I really enjoy Jeunet’s distinctive visual style and his love for eccentric yet appealing characters and gadgets. His films are always charming (with perhaps the exception of Alien Resurrection), even when their focus is dark subject matter (he is probably the only director who could make a very funny comedy about cannibalism). Jeunet himself describes Micmacs best: Delicatessen meets Amélie. Amélie really put Jeunet in to a more mainstream level of popularity, but MicMacs is less accessible than that wonderful film, and has a much less appealing lead character in Dany Boon's Bazil, a fairly blank and unengaging man. It is however very enjoyable, at times extremely funny, and has a clever and original plot. I love Jeunet’s attention to quirky detail which comes through in the way he writes his characters, and also in his visual references – in this case he even has posters advertising MicMacs within the film! It’s sort of a fantastical vision of homelessness, with an eclectic band of misfits becoming united into a family of sorts which is really quite heartwarming, although the romance between Elastic Girl and Bazil is not quite sweet enough. The villains are portrayed as slight caricatures, but with a wry sense of humour rather than in a Hollywood sense. I really liked the story, with the underdogs taking on the corporations, and along the way it is embellished with some beautiful visual sight gags. There is a similarity to Guillermo del Toro and Terry Gilliam in the way Jeunet approaches making a film, creating such striking and unique visuals, with this film having a similar brown and white colour scheme to Delicatessen rather than the vibrant colour scheme in Amélie. The pacing sags a little bit in the middle before picking up again and ending in a very satisfying way. MicMacs does of course stretch realism and believability, but in a very appealing way – like all Jeunet films, it is a pleasure to watch, but it will probably work best for fans of his previous work.
THREE AND A HALF STARS

Clash Of The Titans
Directed by Louis Leterrier and starring Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Jason Flemyng, Gemma Arterton and Alexa Davalos.
Hades and his minions from the underworld are intent on spreading their evil on Earth and the heavens so Perseus, the mortal son of Zeus embarks on a journey to rescue the city of Argos from the wrath of Hades and his Kraken monster.
I've always had a small fascination for mythology, not enough to actually read all the books but just enough to be reminded every now and again that I want to read some books.  Clash Of The Titans is another reminder of this as we get to follow the plight of Perseus and his quest to avenge his family but this is also an example of Hollywood getting getting something old and buggering it up.  This sword and sandal flick is moderately entertaining with just enough action and story to last for almost two hours.  Of course the story is good but it's coming from one heck of a heritage but the script seems to tread very lightly into the mythology and if you know some of it then you could feel like you're being treated like an idiot, like the scene where we are told directly about the bribe for the ferryman and then just in case you forgot they tell us again later, just once would have been fine thank you.  Leterrier's direction is similar to his work from The Incredible Hulk and even though there is plenty of action sometimes it's to busy, you get lost amongst it and to be honest the 3D didn't help sometimes which is no surprise considering it wasn't shot in that technology rather converted afterwards so you're probably better off seeing the 2D version.  The effects are good in places and not so good in others, I didn't like the version of Olympus they did, the audiene is smart enough to figure out that it's the home of the gods without making it all extra special streaky light place.  Speaking of the gods they just didn't really work for me in this, Neeson and Fiennes both seemed restrained by their beards, it was if the glue made their jaws that bit harder to move and they both came across as wooden and not really that god-like.  Our valiant hero Perseus played by Aussie Sam Worthington is not bad in this but also not fully convincing, he gets to keep his accent which was amazingly out of place like his perfect shaved head amongst a sea of long haired warriors.  The bit players around him are alright but the best is Mads Mikkelsen as Draco and I liked Gemma Arterton as Io but I may have been distracted by her cuteness. Clash Of The Titans is ultimately not that exciting and just scrapes a pass mark from me.
A 2.5 out of 5.

And now as promised a bucket load of reviews seeing as I've had a bit of time on my hands lately! There's a couple of new to dvd and the rest are a smattering of a whole bunch of different stuff. Enjoy!

Astro Boy
Directed by David Bowers and starring the voices of Freddie Highmore, Nicholas Cage, Kristen Bell, Charlize Theron, Samuel L. Jackson, Matt Lucas, Bill NIghy, Donald Sutherland and Nathan Lane.
In the floating Metro City a brilliant scientist creates a robot with incredible powers in the image of his lost son. When he is rejected by his father the robot finds himself chased by the government and then lost on the ground below where he makes friends but soon discovers that he has to return to Metro City to save it from a crazed evil robot.
I loved Astro Boy as a kid and have since rewatched the original eighties series and if you haven't gone back to it or never seen it, it's still really good. The next cartoon version that came out was terrible and so even though I was excited by this new movie I approached it with some trepidation, but I'm glad to say not only is this movie good but it's really really good! It was great on so many levels, Toby aka Astro Boy is a good re-imagining of the original and his character is engaging and you enjoy the journey he goes on as he discovers his powers. The story is fun with plenty of adventure and doesn't become a sappy moral lesson or turn into annoying drivel. It is also really funny and I was laughing the whole way through it and the laughs are there for the kids and the grown ups. The voice cast are all really good with the exception of Cage as Dr. Tenma as his voice doesn't really gel with the character as he doesn't change it much and brings up images of all his bad performances. It took a while to get used to the different style of the characters but they are true to the original which is good and ultimately the animation is fantastic. It's made with intelligence and treats it audience the same and I would love to see another one.
A 4 out of 5.

Surrogates
Directed by and starring Bruce Willis, Radha Mitchell, Ving Rhames, Rosamund Pike, Boris Kodjoe and James Cromwell.
In the future humans live in isolation as they send out their robots known as surrogates to do all their living. When the first murder in years happens policeman Tom Greer leaves his house and a surrogate to investigate the case.
Well, this is poop. I was in the mood for some light entertainment and this is for sure very very light. There is no substance in this movie, the script is not involving at all even though it carries a couple of nice twists and then to make things worse the style is just as bad as the special effects are done poorly in places. So with no script or style how about the cast? Even though most of the performances are meant to be in the guise of the robot surrogates their wooden nature doesn't wash well and you're not convinced. When we do get real humans they're still not that great and Mr. Willis is running through his regular ordinary man out to save the world thing. One thing that really got my goat about this flick was the conflict of levels of technology and the way the world had evolved as I didn't like the fact that in a future world that has gotten rid of sexism, racism and crime which is all well and lovely why is there still war? What's with that? I know it helped to serve a purpose and drive the plot but it just annoyed me, which wasn't hard as that's what most of the movie had done anyway and I'm glad it had old school timing of an hour and a half.
A 1 out of 5.

Zoolander
Written and directed by Ben Stiller and starring Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Christine Taylor, Will Ferrell, Milla Jovovich, David Duchovny and Jerry Stiller.
After years of being at the top of the supermodel game Derek Zoolander's last mistake leads him to be the number one candidate to be trained to assassinate the Malaysian Prime Minister. He is recruited by evil fashion guru Mugato to head his new 'Derelicte' line but is actually being brainwashed and only his arch rival Hansel and reporter Matilda Jeffries can help him.
So seeing as there is a talk of a sequel I thought I'd revisit the one and only Zoolander and the time my opinion of Ben Stiller changed. I'd never been a fan of his until I watched this film and not only did I love him in the role of the world's stupidest supermodel but to write, direct and produce as well was an achievement. Sometimes when someone takes on too much in the world of film it can turn to ---- quite quickly but Zoolander is an exception to that, it's script is witty, intelligent, funny but also very tight with great character development. Stiller and Wilson are both great as the vacuous supermodels but Ferrell is on fire in this film and steals the show as evil fashion designer Mugato and he is joined by the evil offsider Katinka played superbly by ever hot Milla Jovovich. The whole cast are great throughout the film, even the celebrity appearances all work and it feels like that this would have been a fun set to be on. It also holds up to repeated viewings which also leads to quoting it in public which luckily gets recognised rather than stares of disbelief. You can read minds?
A 4 out of 5.

Robocop
Directed by Paul Verhoeven and starring Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Dan O'Herlihy, Ronny Cox, Kurtwood Smith, Miguel Ferrer, Robert DoQui and Ray Wise.
In crime ridden Detroit the cops have their work cut out for them and when one of their own is killed he finds himself taken into a special experiment. He is then turned into a powerful cyborg known as Robocop and is sent back onto the streets to enforce the law but his previous memories have not been erased and slowly come to surface.
Paul Verhoven is a genius, this man has made some of the coolest films and Robocop was so awesome that it spawned sequels which is a sign that it is a great film but as usual the sequels are pretty average.  So much so that I'm not going to worry about reviewing them, but the original and first is another story altogether.  I loved this film the first time I saw it and things didn't change the second time.  The story is great and even though the performances do have the eightiesness to them they are all good.  Weller as Robocop and Allen as Officer Lewis are great, Kurtwood Smith is fantastic as the criminal Clarence J. Boddicker and Ferrer as company man Bob Morton is spot on. Verhoven's direction is fantastic, the film looks lovely and his inclusion of advertising grounds the futuristic world in our own time, so things are different but still familiar.  It's a great touch and makes the film identifiable to the viewer and it was so clever and effective that writer Edward Neumeier used it later again in Starship Troopers which Verhoeven also directed.  The pacing of the film is spot on, the sound design is great and the score from Basil Poledouris is brilliant and sits perfectly with the vision. There is something about this film that I really dig, from it's use of static when Robocop is born to the now cheesy stop motion animation used for the other robot, this film is still fun and entertaining.
A 4.5 out of 5.

Zombie Strippers
Written and directed by Jay Lee and starring Jenna Jameson, Robert Englund, Roxy Saint, Penny Drake and Whitney Anderson.
A secret government re-animation chemical virus gets accidentally released in an underground strip club in Sartre, Nebraska. The virus turns the strippers into zombies and their new shows get more punters but they need to feed to stay alive.
Wow, this film is poop! Not that I expected marvelousness but I like zombie films and I always want them to be good but this is a good example of the bad balancing out the good. There is nothing to like about this film, from the badly done blatant nudity (truth be told some of the fake breasts in this movie are the scariest thing about it) to the hideous acting from everyone involved. There is reason why Jenna Jameson did ---- and that's because she can't act and everyone's favourite nightmare, the original Freddie, Robert Englund can't save this farce with his stupid overacting. Jay Lee as director, writer and editor tries to do too much on this film and ends up failing miserably. The story is ridiculous as it only serves to be there as a vehicle for girls to get their kit off and then dance really badly. This is definitely one of the zombie films to avoid and I should know I've watched a heck of a lot.
A 1 out of 5.

Shallow Grave
Directed by Danny Boyle and starring Ewan McGregor, Kerry Fox, Christopher Eccleston and Ken Stott.
Three friends living together interview for a potential fourth flatmate and when they decide on one he goes into his room, locks the door and is never seen again. When they break into his room to see what's going on they discover him dead with a suitcase full of money and they then have to make some decisions on what to do next.
From the start of the wonderful Scot Danny Boyle's career, Shallow Grave is a wonderfully dark comedy that goes place you don't expect and in a clever way. I must admit I wasn't that taken with it initially, I found it slow and the characters weren't that likable plus the film looks very dated as well. But as the film moves along things change rapidly and in some places the way you'd expect it to but then it goes off on a couple of completely different angles with some great scary moments and black comedic laughs. The cast are great, Ewan McGregor shows why he went on to become huge, Fox is great and future Doctor Who Christopher Eccleston's turn from weedy accountant to scary bespectacled bastard is awesome. You can see why Boyle piqued the interest of cinema goers and got the chance to continue making film. Shallow Grave is definitely worth the look if you're a fan of Boyle or McGregor.
A 3.5 out of 5.

Swingers
Directed by Doug Liman, written by Jon Favreau and staring Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn, Ron Livingston, Alex Desert and Heather Graham.
Mike moves to L.A. to make it big and leaves his girlfriend behind in New York. Six months after his break up he's not doing so well and is still struggling to find work so his friends get him back out in the social side of things amongst the stylish neo-lounge scene.
I didn't like this film the first time I saw it but felt compelled to watch it again as a very good friend of mine rates it highly. So an old school hour an a half later I still don't like it. The main character of Mike is highly unlikable and annoying even if has just broken up, but as you find out more about him and the break up he doesn't get any better and by the end of the film you don't care what happens to him although I will give kudos to Favreau for playing that annoying character quite well. The supporting cast help this film move along especially a spunky young Vince Vaughn as Mike's friend Trent and when Heather Graham eventually turns up she does add some class to proceedings. Liman's direction is uninspiring and his handheld use is nothing great and a couple of sequences are horribly clunky and long winded especially the scene where they get into the club through the back entrance which is overlong, unnecessary and feels like it's filling time. Although the script deals with a time and a scene I'm very interested in, the revival of the swing sound, it's just not grabbing and the characters in this film aren't likable and even though I'm a guy and I've been told that it's a guy flick I found it irritating at points and boring. The in jokes and movie references are there but not interesting and the Reservoir Dogs homage is just plain stupid. I wish I could say to my mate that I like this film but I just can't.
a 1.5 out of 5.

Reservoir Dogs
Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino and starring Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Steve Buscemi, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn, Lawrence Tierney, Eddie Bunker and Quentin Tarantino.
A group of criminals are put together by crime boss Joe to do a jewellery heist and they are all given monikers to avoid any trouble. But when the robbery goes wrong accusations of a police informant run through the group as they face each other off in an abandoned warehouse.
Well I've been going through my old video collection whilst I've been stuck at home and decided it was time to watch Mr. Tarantino's directorial debut. I've admitted before to my love/hate relationship with him and I wasn't sure what I'd think of this film after not seeing it for many years and watching a lot of films in between that Tarantino likes to reference. Saying all that though Reservoir Dogs still holds up as a highly original and exciting film that shows no signs of aging as it still surpasses the quality of all the copycat films and directors that it spawned. Tarantino's famous for his dialogue and this is where it started and if you've never seen this film then you should because his writing has declined over the years, as his first films are his best. The performances push this film along at the speed that the script demands and everyone is awesome, no one really puts a foot wrong with the exception of Eddie Bunker but seeing as he wasn't an actor you can forgive him that, he was bought in as a advisor to the criminal way of thinking as that what he had been before. But apart from him every actor is worth mentioning the word awesome next to in this film and their performances are grippingly real. Comedian Steven K. Wright's dry and seemingly uninterested radio disc jockey is a beautiful segue between scenes and involvement in the story. The violence in the film, like the script and dialogue, became Tarantino's trademark and the scene with the policeman being tortured and having his ear cut off is still confronting. One thing that I really love about this film is that it feels real, it's what you'd expect to happen in that place with those people, without a obvious Hollywood ending anywhere in sight. I must admit I became a huge Tarantino fan with this film, as did just about everyone else but my opinion has become very divided over the years, but Reservoir Dogs is still brilliant and always worth watching.
A 5 out of 5.

Over The Hedge
Directed by and featuring the voices of Bruce WIllis, Garry Shandling, Steve Carell, Wanda Skyes, William Shatner, Avril Lavigne, Nick Nolte, Thomas Haden Church, Alison Janney, Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara.
Rj the raccoon is in trouble when he tries to steal the food of Vincent the bear so he strikes a deal to get all the food back while Vincent finishes his last week of hibernation. RJ comes across as a group of mismatched forest animals who he tricks into helping him raid the new suburban neighbourhood that was built up while they were hibernating.
Hilarious! This is a great kids flick that has something for the kids and adults alike, in fact this is one that stands up to repeat viewings that the kids will put it through and that parents won't get annoyed with as some films can do. The story is fun, involving and has some moral lessons as well that are well handled. The script moves along at a great pace and keeps you interested and involved and has many many laughs along the way. All the characters are great and you get to know each one just enough and the minor ones don't take any time away from the main characters. The whole voice cast are great, heck even the cute popstar Avril Lavigne is good as is her Canadian countryman William Shatner, but then again he's always good for a laugh. Bruce Willis and Garry Shandling are both good as the main focus but the show stealer is Steve Carell as Hammy, not only because Hammy is completely hyper and provides the vast majority of the laughs and I must admit I always love the crazy cartoon characters but you don't recognise his voice and his work is faultless here. I really dig this movie and rate it highly in the world of kid's flicks!
A 4.5 out of 5.

Rasen
Written and directed by Joji Iida and starring Koichi Sato, Miki Nakatani, Hinako Saeki and Shingo Tsurumi.
When the friend of a young pathologist dies he looks for the answer to the mysterious death. When he comes into contact with the cursed video tape that caused his friend's death he discovers that it is haunted and has killed before and plans to kill again so he sets out to stop the curse.
It took me ages to get around and watch the first two Ring films even though I have a fondness for static and the good old analogue video tape, heck I even read the book first! Suffice to say Rasen or Ring: The Spiral is a good example of getting something popular and attempting to continue the scare factor and failing miserably. The performances are all fine and the script is actually alright especially if you've seen the previous films as they tie it in quite nicely but it just doesn't really deliver the spookiness of the original idea. I'd recommend the American version of the original before this unless you haven't seen the Japanese originals and my sister who is also a big fan of Japanese horror told me to completely ignore Ring: Birthday and I'm going to follow that advice. If you want Japanese horror there are a bucket load of films out there that are better than this one.
A 2 out of 5.

Nadja
Written and directed by Michael Almereyda with David Lynch as an Executive Producer and starring Elina Lowensohn, Suzy Amis, Peter Fonda, Martin Donovan and Galaxy Craze.
In the wake of their father's death a family of dysfunctional vampires in New York city try to come to terms with each other whilst they are being hunted by Dr. Van Helsing and his nephew.
I wanted to like this film mainly because David Lynch had something to do with it and he's pretty damn cool and his cameo is perfectly Lynch but the rest of the movie just didn't do it for me. I can see why they wanted Lynch to produce and present it because it is very Lynchian in many ways and this was my second viewing of it after a few years and it still didn't crack it for me. The visual style is interesting and works well with the concept of the story but ultimately it became irritating and also depended on to much. If you check the credits you see that their "pixel vison camera" was by fisher price, so great idea but it's a kid's camera so use it well or don't use it all. While I'm on the credits, Almereyda thanks influences, just like Kevin Smith and I find this ridiculous and insulting, so seeing artists names like Andre Breton, Picasso, Derek Jarman and even Sinead O'Connor is just dumb. He should have mentioned Lynch in that list as well because he borrows heavily from his early films, plus treat your audience with some respect and intelligence and let them see your influences for themselves so they can have some critical discourse about it. Just in case you couldn't tell, I think that mentioning influences and the like in your credits is a pile of pretentious wank! So rewind back into the film and I still can't find much about it to like, the acting although obviously deliberately wooden is whatever because it doesn't have the chance to work in a decently composed frame. There are some nice shots and I did like some of the visual style but it is over saturated and isn't strong enough to carry the whole film. The soundtrack is pretty good and hearing My Bloody Valentine was a treat but every time Portishead came into the mix it was surprisingly to different for the mood of the film. The story of the modern vampire take has been done before and better and I just found myself getting really bored with it. if you're into decent art house films then instead of watching this just go and watch some Lynch and get it straight from the genius.
A generous 2 out of 5.

CLASH OF THE TITANS
A fantasy action adventure remake of the 1981 film written by Travis Beacham, Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi (Aeon Flux, Bug) from the original screenplay by Beverley Cross and directed by Louis Leterrier (The Incredible Hulk, Transporter 2)
Set in ancient Greece, Perseus (Sam Worthington), rescued as a baby from the sea by fisherman Spyros (Pete Postlethwaite), learns when he grows up that he is a demi god, the mortal son of the god Zeus (Liam Neeson). Zeus tries to teach the humans a lesson for disregarding him by he unleashing his evil brother Hades (Ralph Fiennes) upon them, who is fed power the more that humans become fearful. Perseus realizes he is the one to stop them, and with support from Draco (Mads Mikkelsen) and other warriors, he embarks on a perilous journey to stop Hades and his angry monsters – including the deadly Medusa (Natalia Vodianova) and the Kraken, a massive sea creature, from destroying the city of Argos and all its people. He is helped by the mysterious Io (Gemma Arterton) who has watched and protected him all his life.
This is essentially big-budget hammy trash with an over-reliance on CGI effects.There is a huge difference between this and Avatar, where the money has been spent creating an immersive world and story, action scenes and characterisation are a strength; here the effects stand out because they mostly look fake. It all just comes across as ridiculous rather than fun in a cheesy way. At times you feel embarassed for the quality actors trying to convince with frequently terrible dialogue. Sam Worthington appears uncomfortable throughout, as well as looking and sounding out of place with his crewcut and full-on Australian accent which he has made no effort to disguise – this movie won’t do him any favours in his career, and I think he needs to avoid blockbusters and build up some credibility in small films again. Mads Mikkelsen gives the strongest performance and retains his dignity by actually carrying off his role as tough warrior Dracos, and Alexa Davalos is relatively restrained as the the princess in her few brief scenes, but Gemma Arterton is stiff and annoying as Io, and Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes seem like they are in a pantomime. There are some occasionally funny moments, and some of the supporting characters such as the hunters you would like to see more of. Some of the effects are okay involving Medusa and occasionally Ralph Fiennes as Hades, and the three witches are suitably disgusting. Tthe action scenes are very disappointing, partly because what they are fighting looks fake, partly because it is soft and not brutal enough, and partly because they are poorly directed so you can’t follow them. I can only imagine they would be worse in 3D, given the conversion happened after the film was completed. I don’t think I really like this genre of sword and sandal epic, unless it’s done with a story that has emotional resonance and grit like Gladiator. The direction overall is flat and uninspiring, and let’s hope there is no sequel, as this is an example of everything that is wrong with Hollywood blockbusters these days.
TWO STARS

THE LAST STATION
A historical drama written and directed by Michael Hoffman (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Soapdish, Restoration) based on the novel by Jay Parini
At the beginning of the 20th century, War and Peace and Anna Karenina having made him the most respected writer of his time, the ageing Leo Tolstoy (Christopher Plummer), is surrounded by avid supporters of his pacifist movement - much to the annoyance of his Countess wife, Sofya (Helen Mirren), who is in conflict with Tolstoy’s admirer and close friend, Vladimir Chertkov (Paul Giamatti). She believes the two men are plotting to rewrite his will so that his works will be inherited by the Russian people. Tolstoy’s new secretary, Valentin Bulgakov (James McAvoy), is thrust into the middle of the fiery feud while his burgeoning love for the beautiful and feisty Masha (Kerry Condon) adds to his his confusion as he valiantly tries to follow his Tolstoyian beliefs of pacifism, vegetarianism and celibacy.
An intelligent, well-crafted film focused on a fascinating and volatile relationship. The performances are impeccable across the board, but Helen Mirren steals the film and is really superb. Sofia is such a fantastic role for an older actress; so headstrong and tempestuous yet for me immensely likeable. James McAvoy also perfectly captures the naivety and awkwardness of Valentin, who sneezes every time he is nervous. The relationship between Tolstoy and Sofia totally convinces, as it’s beautifully written and Plummer and Mirren have a fantastic chemistry which results in some playful and romantic moments in amongst the arguments. The film is well shot and looks lovely with some interesting camera work and an authentic recreation of 1900s Russia, and one lovely touch is having archival footage of the real Tolstoy during the end credits. What could have been dry and pompous subject matter is carefully delivered in an engaging way, while still touching on the theories and politics, and the movement and ideals of the Tolstoyian community versus the human being who created them. It also gives a potent representation of paparazzi in historical times; intrusive and annoying even back then! What surprised me is how passionate aspects of the film are; the relationships between Sofia and Tolstoy and the young Valentin and spirited Masha are warm and ultimately very moving. The only thing that strikes me as curious is that even though they are all Russian and the film is set in Russia the film is in English. The filmmaker does a good job of not making any character black or white, and you can understand the selfish motivations from both Sofya and Chertkov up to a point. I came out of this film feeling more informed about Russian history and the making of an icon, as well as more inspired by the power of love.
THREE AND A HALF STARS