"Mortdecai"

"Mortdecai" is the 'Austin Powers' of the Art world, I suppose that is the best way I can think of to describe him. There is also a touch of TerryThomas about him, but at least TerryThomas was funny, which is far than can be said for "Mortdecai".

Said fellow is in debt, owing £8 million in back taxes. So when a potential 'lost' painting maybe up for grabs, its all hands on deck, especially as the reverse of the painting could contain the Bank account details leading to a Vault load of Nazi gold and valuables.

Oh the hilarity. NOT. The creator of the trailer should be praised as they have done their job, they made the film look appealing and got me inside. They have earnt their wages. Alas no-one else working on the film has, especially the Writer and Director. The film believes itself to be a comedy but is far from it. I mustered two minor sniggers during the whole 106 minutes, and that seemed to be the same for the other 40 or so people viewing the film at the same time as I.
In fact to put it into context, I laughed more watching the trailer for "Inherent Vice" for the third time.

Some say that Johnny Depp is his way to being the most overpaid actor in Hollywood. Going by the quality of this latest film, I am going to agree.

Stay clear of this dire movie...................3 out of 10

"The Gambler"

What can I say?
I would not bet the house on this film being a hit. I would not even bet the cost of a cinema ticket.

Jim Bennett is a teacher, in a job he finds quite depressing. And to make matters worse, he likes the odd gamble, a little flutter here and there. Unfortunately for him, he is now owing the sum of $260,000, and the people he owes are keen to collect.

There is little to appeal about this movie. The main character is not likeable, and thus why should you care what becomes of him. And that is the biggest downfall of the film. In fact he is a right tosser. When he has the golden opportunity to end his financial woes once and for all, he just makes it worse.

Even with a great cast, and the Writer of "The Departed", it is just painful to watch.

Do yourselves a favour and avoid this movie, that would be my best bet ..........3 out of 10

"Whiplash"

I have been reviewing movies for a little while now, and any readers will possibly be aware that I do not given out the highest score very often, in fact I try and award just one a year, thus making it the Best film of the Year. That may be tricky to do during 2015, and here is why..........

Andrew loves to play the drums, and he clearly has some skill with the said instrument. He is a student at a prestigious Academy, and one day he finds himself being watched by Terence Fletcher, who is one of the Music teachers. During this short meeting he believes that he does very little to impress Fletcher of his talent, but he is proved wrong, when he soon finds himself sat amongst the players that make up the band that Fletcher has assembled. There is a regular Drummer, Carl, so whilst he plays, Andrew sits, watches, and turns the pages of his music sheets for him. But soon enough, Andrew is sat in the hot seat. His first session goes well, and he is rather pleased with himself. Here he is, playing in a band for a tutor he truly admires, and someone he wants to impress, and prove he is worthy to be a part of the band.
Fletcher has a love of music, and a passion for the band he has assembled, attending regular competitions, and he only regards there to be one place, there is no prize for second place in his opinion. He rules over his band with total discipline, but he also get results, truly great music performed at the highest level.
And if Fletcher has an obsession to master the perfect band, then equally Andrew has that same level to be part of it, no matter what the cost. After getting his place in Fletcher's Band he feels cocky, and finally asks the girl who works in the local cinema for a date. Romance blooms, but Andrew soon sees it as a hurdle to what he wishes to achieve.
But soon it becomes clear that the high standards that Fletcher expects come at a price. And is it one that Andrew is willing to pay?  He intimidates the Band members, they truly fear him, barely being able to look him in the eye. He will glady belittle them, play members off against each other, if he thinks there is a chance they it will improve the quality of their playing.
It sounds like pure mental torture but there is physical pain too, as the constant playing and practicing makes their hands bleed. Their sweat and blood literally dripping onto the drums.

Will Andrew become a member of the Award winning Band?  Will the intense pressure cause him to have a breakdown?

J. K. Simmons is one of those actors that when you see his face, you may not automatically recall his name, or remember the last film you saw him in, but he is an actor that you will have almost certainly seen him in something. Rest assured, everyone will remember him after "Whiplash". He gives such an electrifying performance, one of the best I have seen in a long time. Every aspect is spot on, from the look of the character, who even intimidates just by being dressed in black, that lined face, his physique, to the voice, one which commands to be heard, you listen and obey every instruction you are given. When Simmons is on screen you cannot take your eyes off him. It is as good a performance as any I have ever seen.
But like a pair of great bookends, one complimenting the other, there is the dazzling performance from Miles Teller as 'Andrew'. He is profile is increasing having done several crowd pleasing movies, but in "Whiplash" he shows he can really act. As a lover of the Cinema, it gives one just the greatest of joy watching Miles and J. K. on screen together.

I guarantee that if you do not have a love of jazz at the start of the film, then you will by the end. There are some great toe tapping tunes included in the movie. I am already looking into buying the CD soundtrack.

For such a great piece of Cinema, one would expect it to come from someone who has honed their craft but remarkably it comes from a relative newcomer, Damien Chazelle, who has only done a couple of prior movies. He has a real cinematic flair, he has brought together all the key elements of a great movie, (cinematography, editing, writing and performance) so beautifully. I would doubt the likes of Spielberg or Scorsese could improve on this film.

What is especially worthy of note is that the film is not as much of an open book as one would expect, there are a few surprises in store, which just adds to the brilliance.

I cannot praise the film enough, especially Chazelle, Teller and Simmons. This mighty trio have created a truly outstanding piece of Cinema. It does not get much better than this......10 out of 10

"Into The Woods"

Some of the most beloved Fairytale characters all brought together in one story....

Based on the Broadway smash hit play, written by Stephen Sondheim.......

An All star cast............

All these factors and yet it is still dire, on an epic scale.
I don't plan to waste time going into detail but I found the songs tedious and the lyrics seems to be forced, ill fitting. The story was merely average, and not that engaging. Visually it was passable, but even the likes of my movie favourite Meryl Streep, who looked amazing after the transformation, could not save this movie.
And please will someone let Chris Pine know that he is as wooden as the forest he was trying to protect.

A big disappointment...................3 out of 10

"Birdman"

Putting on a stage production can be very stressful. But when you are the lead actor, writer and Director, it can be very hard work indeed.
But what makes it even worse for Riggin Thompson, is that he feels he has something to prove. Once he was top of the movie World, as a major Super-Hero star, long before the likes of 'Iron Man' ruled the sky. He was at the top of his game, and loved by millions. Now he is a nobody, washed up, but with this play he has the chance to show that he is an actor and not just a movie star.

He is adapting a Raymond Carver work for his play, but all is not well. One of his fellow actors is not exactly Laurence Olivier, but fate steps in when an accident means he cannot continue with the play, and a replacement is sought, But was it an accident or are there other forces at play?
A replacement is forthcoming in the shape of Critic and fan favourite Mike Shiner. But the initial elation at having such a crowd pleasing name join the cast is soon short lived. For Mike is a true method actor. Plus has designs on rewriting the script and designs on Riggin's daughter. There is a quite hilarious preview scene when Mike objects heavily to the lack of authenticity with the beverages on stage.

In the opening scene we find Riggin hovering above the floor of his dressing room. Is it some elaborate gimic? Or does the former Superhero have skills that really are super? He constantly hears the thoughts of his alter-ego. Have these words of wisdom unhinged his mind? There are times when he seems to have a Jedi mind trick skill, moving objects at random, was he responsible for the falling light fitting?

Whether Riggin really does have super powers, whether it is in his mind, or whether it is a dream, I think can safely be said is left to the viewers to decide, but maybe the closing scenes give a definitive answer....who knows.
Hovering about at the back of house provides the cinematographer a real challenge, with many continuous shots, some are really astounding. Not since "The West Wing" has so much corridor weaving been seen on screen.
But the main battle for Thompson is proving that he is an actor and not a movie star. Anyone can be a movie star, but it takes someone with talent to be an actor, and threading the boards is where many thespians say that they really perform their true craft. But he may have a war of words to comtend with, as attending the first night will 'Tabitha Dickinson', a Critic who is determined to sink his play on opening night, and she warns Thompson of this, before she has seen a single scene

Some have likened the story material to Keaton's own life, having once played the Caped Crusader, and never really having hit the big time since, despite many varied roles over the many years since playing 'Bruce Wayne'. But rest assured he gives a great performance as 'Riggin Thompson', and is worthy of all the plaudits he is getting, and could be a real contender for Oscar.
There is great support too from the likes of Naomi Watts, Amy Ryan, Emma Stone, Zach Galifinakis and most notably Edward Norton as the actor to make Lee Strasberg proud !! 

Well written, brilliantly acted and a real delight to watch................8 out of 10

"Foxcatcher"

As the true stories keep coming, here is one with ambition, power and Channing Tatum in a leotard.
Now if that doesn't get them queueing round the multiplexes then nothing will.

So leotards aside, I wish, what he have here is Mark Schultz, an Olmypic gold medal Wrestler, but for him he constantly spends life in the shadow of his older Brother David. But fortune smiles on Mark when he is given the opportunity of a lifetime to train with the famous Foxcatcher  team, and create an Olympic winning team that will take the US to the very top during the 1988 Games. Du Pont clearly sees great potential in Schultz, and makes him his new golden boy. All goes well for a while, but when standards start to slide, Du Pont has not alternative but to bring in David, much to Mark's annoyance.
Du Pont is a fascinating character, very complex, private, but determined, and having a great love for his country. He dotes on his Mother, and the fact that she finds wrestling a low sport must not sit well with him. One does wonder as to what is the attracion of the sport for Du Pont, and more so what is the attraction to Schultz?  There has been comment of an alleged closer relationship between Coach and Trainer.
Paranoia is a key part in Du Pont's downfall, but it is a shock when the act that causes his arrest occurs. There is no real hint of what was to come, and no reason as why he did what he did. 
But it is a dream part, so subtle, so quiet, so unnerving. And one has to question why the part was offered to a Comedy actor like Steve Carell. It is a very bizarre piece of casting, but one that pays off big time. He does give a career transformative performance, brilliantly played out, and he deserves every single Award nomination he receives. It would be nice to see him win as it is equally deserved.
Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo are equally excellent as the Schulz Brothers. Tatum especially is given the chance to show the versatile actor that he is, as opposed to starring in crowd pleasing movies.

I remember that when "The Iron Lady" opened, many said that it had amazing performances but was just an average film. I disagree as I thought it was outstanding, but that thought occured to me with regard to "Foxcatcher". It is worth watching for the remarkable acting on show from the three leads, but the film itself is average. I susepct I may have wanted more, or expected more of a revelation regarding the Du Pont Character.

Had the film been as good as the acting then it would have been close to a perfect film, however it still scores a worthwile 8 out of 10....

"Unbroken"

One of the finest, if not the finest young actor of his generation is back on screen, in his third high profile film in the past 365 days.

Here Jack O' Connell plays Louis Zamperini, and we are introduced to his story.
We start off with his as a Bombadier on board a plane during World War II. There is a quite taut air battle sequence, which is really well executed. And during this sequence, he remembers back to past times, when he was younger, a tearaway, and an embarrassment to his loving parents.
His older brother takes him under his wing, and gets him to share his passion for running. And before he knows it young Louis is running for State and then for Country in the Olympics.
We are then back on board the plane, as the Crew receive a new assignement. To try and locate a plane and its missing crew. The only downside is that because of the need for planes in battle, they are given a clapped out museum piece but at least it is still airworthy. For now.....

Sure enough the stresses of being in the air tells on the plane, and soon enough it ditches in the Ocean, so another Crew is lost at sea.
Louis is one of three survivors. They battle against hunger, the elements, and also attack from sharks. To survive so long at sea is quite remarkable but two of them did manage to survive until they were rescued. Unfortunately for them the rescue came from the Japanese, and they promptly transported to a Prisoner of War camp. So from one ordeal to an even more horrific one.
The officer in charge of the camp seems determined to make life unbearable for Louis. But one thing that his Brother taught him was that if he could take it, then he could make it, and seems to be his lesson throughout all that he is dealt.

I think that it is fair to say that if the subject material were not based on a true story then one would have a hard time believing what Louis endures.

Derby born actor Jack O'Connell is certainly riding high at the moment, and rightly so. He is very justly getting the kind of reviews that an actor of his rich talent deserves, and remarkable more so for such a young age. Time and time again he amazes and wows on screen, after such great work on films like "Eden Lake", "Starred Up" and "71", he now brings to life the story of a true survivor.
There is excellent Direction from Angelina Jolie, she has seamlessly moved from in front of to behind the camera.
The film has attracted criticism, I think mainly people saying that it is trying to be an Oscar film, one that will attract the attention of the Academy. I think it is unjust, as it is a worthy film to watch.

A compelling story, wonderfully told.............8 out of 10

"The Theory of Everything"

From the moment I first saw rhe trailer, it was obvious that the performance by Eddie Redmayne would be an Award winner, and sure enough he has already bagged himself a Golden Globe and rightly so. But more on that later.

This remarkable film looks at the lives of Jane and Stephen Hawking, a couple of students who meet, and fall in love. Clearly very happy together, all is going well. But then everything changes when Stephen is affected by motor neurone  disease. The prognosis is not good, as he is told that his life expectancy is just a mere two years. It is a lot for someone, anyone to take in, and he inevitably gets angry, and draws within himself. But it is the love of his wife Jane, that holds strong, as she stands by his side in this battle. Both are determined that two years will not be the end.

Many will no doubt know the genius of Professor Hawking, but not necessarily this look into his early life, and the relationship that he had with his first wife. It really was a Herculean battle that they both undertook, and it is a real testament to their strength and love.
It is remarkable what they went through, as there were many knock on effects of the diagnosis, dealing with pneumonia, and the throat operation meaning he would potentially never talk again. All these obstacles he has tackled and won, and continues to win.

There are excellent performances from both leads as the Hawkings. It is nice to see a rising actress like Felicity Jones in a high profile role, getting to show her talent.
As for Mr. Redmayne, what can one say that will be shouted out by many a film critic across the Globe. It really is an Award winning performance, on every level. We share his delight at meeting Jane, falling in love, we share his pain as he discovers his medical condition, and marvel as he and Jane, side by side, take on all that it encompasses. A great performance, and quite uniquely there is a very strong resemblance too.
Nice support from the likes of Harry Lloyd and especially David Thewlis.

A remarkable story, and a remarkable film, which gets 2015 off to the best of starts......9 out of 10

"2014 - This Year In Film"

Well another cinematic year draws to a close. And it gives us the opportunity to reflect on the best and the worst from the past 365 days.

As ever as becoming the norm with Cinema, biopics once again were a huge part of the year, starting off with two good movies, namely "The Railway Man" and "12 Years a Slave", the latter going on to win Best Picture at The Oscars, and despite being an unpopular opinion, I felt there were more deserving films.

Marvel had a better year. There was once a time when a Marvel was almost like an event as they maybe released a film or two every year. Now it is almost like there is one every few months, and I think it is a case of saturation at times, but this year they did excel themselves.
"Captain America: The Winter Soldier" was a great sequel featuring Steve Rogers, and it was quickly followed by "The Amazing Spiderman 2", which I thought was one of the best Marvel films for some time. "X-Men: Days of Future Past" was enjoyable enough, and certainly visually stunning, and then saving the best for last we had "Guardians of the Galaxy" whih was one of the top box office films of year, worldwide.

The mature film stars flourished this year, with Douglas, Kline, Freeman and De Niro having fun in "Last Vegas" and Mr. Neeson still playing the hard man in both "Non Stop" and "A Walk Among the Tombstones", although the latter remains a pretty awful film.
You probably cannot get more mature than the collective known as Monty Python, who were on our Cinema screens in a one off live performance, which raised many laughs.

September was a bad month in that there were three major turkeys viewed in just over a one week period, see below for more details.

All in all though it has been a pretty poor year again. It has only been saved from being a complete disaster by some remarkable films in the closing few months, such greats like "Pride", "The Imitation Game", "Mr. Turner", "Nightcrawler" and "'71".

The Award for Promising so much, and failing to deliver goes to - "Interstellar" and "The Expendables 3"

 

Here is a selection of films which share the Award for Worst Film of The Year    -

But now time for some praise.

The Award for Best British Talent goes
to Jack O' Connell, who gave amazing performances in both "Starred Up" and also "'71", and is currently being seen in "Unbroken"

The Harry H. Corbett Award for Comedy by a Dramatic actor goes to Ralph Fiennes for his hysterically funny work on "The Grand Budapest Hotel"

The Kleenex Award for Best Weepie of 

the  Year goes to "The Book Thief" 

It is a tough call for Best Actor, and I very seldom do this but we have a tie. The winners for Lead Actor are:

Jake Gyllenhaal for "Nightcrawler" and Benedict Cumberbatch for "The Imitation Game".

 
Before I get to Best Actress, I have to mention there were several outstanding performances by actresses in a Supporting Role.

We have on the left the amazing Dorothy Atkinson who brought both many emotions to her performance as 'Hannah' in "Mr. Turner". In the centre there is the excellent Rene Russo who was great as TV executive 'Nina' in "Nightcrawler". And on the right there is Imelda Staunton who was hysterically funny in "Pride"...all worthy winners in my opinion.


It is a great shame but there were very few outstanding Lead Actress Performances during 2014, and I suspect it is the age old problem of poor writing for female characters.

But there can be only one winner, and it is:

 

 

 Rosamund Pike for her first class work on psychological thriller "Gone Girl" 

As for Best Picture, well there were several movies that would on any other year have been worthy winners, but there can be only one movie crowned best of 2014...............